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Canterbury Health Laboratories is the largest medical laboratory in the South Island operating from modern well equipped facilities opposite Christchurch Hospital. It also staffs and maintains a smaller laboratory Ashburton Hospital and blood test collection facilities at Burwood and The Princess Margaret Hospitals.
Owned by the CDHB, Canterbury Health Laboratories is your only New Zealand owned and operated laboratory in Canterbury, and has the expertise of phlebotomists (blood takers) who work within Christchurch’s hospitals.
While community laboratories are only contracted to perform about 180 different procedures, Canterbury Health Laboratories has the technology and staff expertise to enable it to have a testing repertoire encompassing over 2000 different tests. Every laboratory discipline is represented in Canterbury Health Laboratories and annual testing exceeds 3.5 million analyses.
In order to meet the requirements of Canterbury’s Hospital and primary care clinicians the laboratory maintains a 24 hour service for routinely requested tests. Specialist staff are available on call should a more complex analysis be required.
The more complex tests are always referred to CHLabs, regardless of collection venue or request form used. Why not let CHLabs provide the complete service? As a publically New Zealand owned and operated laboratory, focus is on reinvesting into healthcare to improve patient outcomes. Please let us know if you are interested in Canterbury Health Laboratories providing your complete medical diagnostic service.
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Test Requirements & Ordering |
CHL will collect samples for request from any form presented by the patient, but if you would like to be sent a pad of CHL referral forms then please contact:
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Is an online tool for health professionals which outlines requirements for laboratory testing. It also informs of when specialised testing is performed and the standard timeframe for specific laboratory test results.
CHL do offer a full courier pick up service using National courier service Courier Post. We choose to outsource this service as we recognise where our skill sets lie. CHL have a highly competitive negotiated rate for this service, and use the PACE service for Christchurch wide collection. This means your samples will come directly to CHL for testing as soon as they are collected rather than being delayed by other GP pick ups.
Most standard laboratory test results will be available within 2-4 hours from the collection of a sample. Results from CHL are sent electronically (HL7) or by mail or a combination of both depending on individual preference. Information on the standard timeframes for specific test results being available is also listed within our online tool TEST MANAGER.
If you have a query regarding a laboratory test you have ordered then please contact LABLINE – 0800 THE LAB (543 822 ).
Professor Peter George is the Clinical Director for Canterbury Health Laboratories. If you have any overall clinical concerns then please contact him directly.
For specific test result questions and interpretation please contact the relevant pathologist.
CHL have pathologists on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. To contact the on call pathologists please contact LABLINE – 0800 THE LAB (543 822).
CHL hold Ministry of Health contracts in the following areas:
| WHO National Measles Laboratory |
Providing reference testing on Measles samples identified in New Zealand.
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| PC3 Laboratory |
CHL are currently constructing New Zealand’s only medical diagnostic PC3 compliant laboratory to assist in the diagnosis of new organisims and pandemic outbreaks.
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| Acute Demand Rapid Transport |
CHL conduct all the testing for this health pathway to ensure timely admission to Christchurch Hospital outpatients where necessary, improving patient care outcomes.
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| Antenatal screening for Down syndrome and other conditions |
CHL, jointly with LabPlus in Auckland, is responsible for the blood sample testing for this National Screening Unit Contract.
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| National Cervical Screening Programme |
CHL are the only laboratory in Canterbury to offer SurePath Liquid Based Cytology testing that is performed within Canterbury.
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Canterbury Health Laboratories hold the only local National Cervical Screening Unit (NCSP) laboratory based contract for SurePath Liquid Based Cytology Cervical Screening in Canterbury.
The laboratory also offers automated screening system (FocalPoint) for Cervical Cytology. The FocalPoint system has enabled Canterbury Health Laboratories to achieve the highest testing sensitivities for detecting low and high grade abnormalities in New Zealand, and greatly improves result turnaround times.
To make use of this local SurePath liquid based cytology service, samples MUST be couriered to Canterbury Health Laboratories. CHL is able to provide a full courier pick up service, available on request, directly to your surgery.
As well as cervical screening results, CHL is also set up to test; Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and high risk HPV (HrHPV) from the single SurePath sample. If a reflex HrHPV test is required, as specified under the NCSP guidelines October 2009, CHL will conduct testing from the initial specimen.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea testing is conducted as a combined molecular test. This is aimed at patients in a high risk group to get a more robust STI check. This service is provided at no additional cost to the health sector.
Our team are available for in-house one on one session with your smear taking staff as requested. This could involve a practical demonstration on how the screening of slides is performed, what cell changes look like, how to correctly use collection apparatus, and what your team can be doing to better help your patients.
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