Our GLH
The North Thames GLH provides and coordinates all genomic tests, within agreed turnaround times, to bring genomic innovation to the people of North London, Hertfordshire and Mid and South Essex.
The North Thames GLH provides and coordinates all genomic tests, within agreed turnaround times, to bring genomic innovation to the people of North London, Hertfordshire and Mid and South Essex.
We work cooperatively with the national network of GLHs to deliver all tests outlined in the National Genomic Test Directory and bring equitable access to testing across the country.
The North Thames GLH provides the following services, delivered by a network of partner laboratories;
Rare and Inherited Disease core services
Cancer core services
Specialist services for Hearing, Ophthalmology, Musculoskeletal, Immunology, Inherited cancer, Metabolic, Mitochondrial, Neurology, Renal, Skin, Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.
The remaining specialist services (Haematology, Endocrine, Gastro, Cardiology, Respiratory) are provided by other GLHs, and the North Thames GLH supports services in region to access these.
To access our request forms and guidance on sample pathways, please visit Test Order Forms page and the Sending a Sample page.
Our laboratories only accept samples from clinicians once a clinical referral has been made. The North Thames GLH is directly funded for service delivery so there will be no provider-to-provider invoicing for tests specified by the national Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), and patients meeting the eligibility criteria.
Our Partner Laboratories
Since our launch in 2018, we have worked to consolidate laboratory testing across the region to enable the provision of standardised, high quality, rapid testing and support an increase in capacity, accelerate uptake of new technologies and improve equity of patient access. Our partners work as a single North Thames Genomics Laboratory Service to share expertise and specialist knowledge.
GOSH Genetics Laboratory
The majority of Rare and Inherited Disease Core services (>95%) and all specialist services are provided by the GOSH Genetics Laboratory. This includes the sub-national R21 service for fetal exome sequencing.
Head of Laboratory Service: Deborah Morrogh
Laboratory contact email: gos-tr.norththamesgenomics@nhs.net
Phone: 020 7762 6888
Samples should be sent to: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Levels 4-6 Barclay House, 37, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BH
The GOSH Genetics Laboratory, in collaboration with the Centre of Molecular Pathology at RMH, also delivers our paediatric cancer testing services.
Head of Laboratory Service: Dr Dörte Wren, dorte.wren@gosh.nhs.uk
Laboratory contact email: gos-tr.pmu@nhs.net
Phone: 020 7405 9200
Samples should be sent to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Levels 4-6 Barclay House, 37, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BH
Clinical Genomics Department, The Centre for Molecular Pathology, at The Royal Marsden
The Clinical Genomics Department based at The Royal Marsden Hospital provides the majority of solid tumour analyses for the region using large gene panels.
Prepared samples are forwarded from local Pathology labs to the RMH laboratory for analysis. Order and View may be used for test requests and results.
Head of Laboratory Service: Mikel Valganon
Laboratory contact email: RMCGS@rmh.nhs.uk
Phone: 020 8915 6543
Samples should be sent to Clinical Genomics Department, The Centre for Molecular Pathology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, Surrey. SM2 5NG.
Health Services Laboratories (HSL)
HSL provides a number of core Rare and Inherited disease services:
- Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing– provided sub-nationally (one of three national providers)
- Haemochromatosis
- Karyotyping and QF-PCR (for UCLH only)
Head of Laboratory Service: Elaine Holgado
Laboratory contact email: genetics@tdlpathology.com
Phone: 020 7307 7409
Samples should be sent to TDL Genetics Sample Reception, 1 Mabledon Place, London, WC1H 9AX
North West London Pathology SIHMDS Laboratory
The NWLP SIHMDS laboratory provides cytogenetic, molecular and immunophenotyping testing, alongside an integrated reporting service for heamato-oncology. This includes the sub-national testing for BCR::ABL1 RT-qPCR rare transcripts (M80.55, M84.23, M89.106, M91.79) and BCR::ABL1 Tyrosine Kinase Domain (TKD) Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) (M80.15, M84.8, M89.17, M91.11).
Laboratory contact email: Cytogenetics: imperial.cytogenetics@nhs.net | Molecular: imperial.moleculardiagnostics@nhs.net | Immunophenotyping: imperial.immunophenotyping@nhs.net
Phone: Cytogenetics: 020 3313 1503/2169 | Molecular: 020 331 32179/32167 | Immunophenotyping: 020 3313 1504
Samples should be sent to: SIHMDS, 2nd floor G-Block, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0HS
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Molecular pathology
The molecular pathology service offers ancillary diagnostic tests for bone and soft tissue tumours on paraffin-embedded material and frozen. Tests are also provided for research and clinical trials.
Please see our web pages for more information:
https://www.rnoh.nhs.uk/services/cellular-and-molecular-pathology
Laboratory contact email: rno-tr.histopathology@nhs.net
Phone: +44 (0) 20 8909 5354
UCLH Neuropathology Molecular Laboratory
All neuropathology molecular services are provided by the Division of Neuropathology, Queen Square, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH). The majority of the tests are methylation arrays for central nervous system tumour classification, and MGMT promoter methylation assays to predict temozolomide response. For further tests and request forms, see website.
Next generation sequencing tests are performed at the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Website Division of Neuropathology: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/research/clinical-divisions/division-neuropathology
Website Molecular Neuropathology Service: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/research/clinical-divisions/division-neuropathology/molecular-pathology
Laboratory contact email: uclh.molecular.neuropathology@nhs.net
Samples should be sent to: Division of Neuropathology, Specimen reception, 1st floor Queen Square House; UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology; Queen Square; London WC1N 3BG
UCLH Neurogenetics Laboratory
Neurogenetic testing for several Core and Neurology indications, and all indications in the Mitochondrial speciality, are delivered in a partnership between the Great Ormond Street Laboratory (responsible for sample handling and laboratory tests) and Clinical Scientists from the UCLH/NHNN Neurogenetics Laboratory (analysis and reporting). For more information please see the Neurogenetics Laboratory website: Neurogenetics Laboratory : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (uclh.nhs.uk)
Laboratory contact email: ucl-tr.nhnngenetics@nhs.net
Phone: 020 7762 6888
Samples should be sent to: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Levels 4-6 Barclay House, 37, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BH
Barts Retinoblastoma Genetics Screening Unit
This laboratory provides a supra-regional highly specialised genetics service (one of only two in England) for retinoblastoma patients and their relatives, performing molecular genetic tests for predisposition to retinoblastoma (a rare form of childhood eye cancer). The laboratory also performs genetic tests where RB1 gene involvement is suspected (eg pineoblastoma, osteosarcoma, developmental delay).
Laboratory contact email: retinoblastoma.bartshealth@nhs.net
Phone: 020 3246 0265
Samples should be sent to: Dr Zerrin Onadim, Retinoblastoma Genetic Screening Unit, Barts Health NHS Trust (NHSESEL), The Royal London Hospital, Molecular Pathology Suite, 3rd Floor, Pathology & Pharmacy Building, 80 Newark Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2ES
National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC), Royal Free Hospital
The NHS National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) is the only centre in the UK providing the diagnosis of amyloidosis and systemic autoinflammatory disorders (SAIDs) and will be the lead centre for the upcoming UK amyloidosis network (UKAN). The molecular diagnostic laboratory located within the NAC is nationally commissioned to deliver testing for hereditary amyloidosis and systemic autoinflammatory disorders (SAIDs) under the clinical indications R204 and R413 respectively and will be the national referral laboratory for UKAN.
Laboratory contact email: rf-tr.nacgeneticteam@nhs.net
For more information about the NAC molecular genetic service including sample requirements see Molecular Genetic Testing | Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins – UCL – University College London
Laboratory contact email: rf-tr.nacgeneticteam@nhs.net
Haematological malignancy services from 5 partner SIHMDs laboratories
Molecular and cytogenetic laboratory services for SIHMDS are provided by 5 partner laboratories, in association with the local SIHMDS.