Infection Sciences

Our laboratories perform hundreds of thousands of specialist and routine investigations annually and provide a fully integrated consultant-led service for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of community and imported infections in the immuno-compromised host.

Routine diagnostic work across the ESL network flows efficiently to the central Infection Sciences Hub to ensure comprehensive testing and specialist oversight. ESL sites at RBHH, St Thomas’, PRUH and Denmark Hill provide rapid on‑site processing for urgent microbiology pathways using BD Bactec FX systems, while Guy’s supports rapid local workflows before escalating microbiology work directly to the Hub. In Virology, ESLs deliver site‑specific rapid testing such as GeneXpert respiratory or gastrointestinal assays and local serology at Denmark Hill, with all extended molecular diagnostics, viral loads, sequencing and specialist genotyping handled by the Hub. Once initial processing, rapid assays or essential stabilisation steps are completed locally, routine cultures, complex organism work‑ups, susceptibility testing, molecular assays and all specialist virology investigations are transferred seamlessly to the Hub, ensuring timely results alongside full analytical depth and standardised diagnostic support across the network.