Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road)
- The international agreement, applied in Great Britain through the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009, that sets the rules for safely transporting hazardous goods such as specimens by road.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009
- The law that controls how dangerous goods, including diagnostic specimens, are classified, packaged and carried by road in Great Britain.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Chain of custody
- The documented, unbroken record of who held a specimen and when, from collection through transport to receipt by the laboratory.
- Contemporaneously
- Written down at the time something happens, or as soon as possible afterwards, so the record is accurate and reliable.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work, such as the formalin used to preserve specimens.
- Cytology
- The microscopic examination of individual cells or small cell clusters, for example from a smear, brushing or fine-needle aspirate.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets the rules for how personal information, including health records, must be kept and used.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment or surfaces so they are safe to reuse.
- Despatch log
- The record of every specimen sent, the date and time, the carrier, and confirmation that it was received and a result returned.
- Failsafe (results failsafe)
- A tracking system that makes sure every specimen sent leads to a result that is returned, reviewed and acted upon, so none is lost or missed.
- Fixative
- A chemical, most commonly formalin, used to preserve tissue specimens so they can be examined; it is a substance hazardous to health.
- Formalin
- A watery solution of formaldehyde used to preserve tissue specimens; it is harmful to health and must be handled with care.
- Histopathology
- The microscopic examination of tissue removed from a patient, usually preserved in formalin, to diagnose disease.
- Human Tissue Act 2004
- The law governing the consent for, and lawful storage and use of, human tissue and other bodily material.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main UK law placing a general duty on employers to protect the health and safety of staff and others affected by their work.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, enforced by the Care Quality Commission.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between patients, staff and visitors.
- Microbiology
- The examination of specimens such as swabs, urine or fluid to identify infection-causing organisms and their sensitivity to treatment.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Pathogen
- A micro-organism, such as a bacterium or virus, that can cause disease.
- Patient identifiers
- The minimum pieces of information that uniquely identify a patient, normally full name, date of birth and a unique record number.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and eye protection worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Primary receptacle
- The sealed, leak-proof container that holds the specimen itself, forming the innermost layer of triple packaging.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Safety data sheet
- A document from a chemical's supplier setting out its hazards and how to use, store and dispose of it safely.
- Specimen
- Any sample taken from a patient for diagnostic examination, such as a tissue biopsy, swab, urine, blood, fluid or cells.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a particular task must be carried out consistently and safely.
- Triple packaging
- The three-layer packaging principle - a leak-proof primary receptacle, leak-proof secondary packaging with absorbent material, and a rigid outer package - required for transporting biological specimens.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- UN3373 (Biological substance, Category B)
- The international classification and packaging standard for a diagnostic or clinical specimen that does not meet the higher-risk Category A criteria.