Scottish Mycobacteria Reference Laboratory
The Scottish Mycobacteria Reference Laboratory (SMRL) is the Scottish Reference Laboratory for Mycobacteriology, particularly for the identification, drug susceptibility testing and strain typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The laboratory receives approximately 1900 mycobacterial cultures per year mainly from Scottish NHS laboratories. Further information regarding advice available is detailed below. SMRL is also the Scottish repository for mycobacterial cultures.
The laboratory is based within the Directorate of Laboratory Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, UK. It is part of the Scottish Microbiology Reference Laboratories, Edinburgh and is fully integrated with the combined laboratories of NHS Lothian. SMRL is funded through an agreement between National Service Scotland and NHS Lothian. Some services have been developed which are available at a charge to the user.
This manual covers three levels of service:
- National Reference services funded by National Services Scotland (NSS).
- Services paid for by charging the users per test.
- Services provided by NHS Lothian to the local and other Boards by Service Level Agreement. These Boards are currently, NHS Borders, NHS Fife, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Highland, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Tayside.
Telephone and Email Enquiries
TB Laboratory Tel: 0131 242 6022/23
TB Office Tel: 0131 242 6016
The preferred method of communication for non urgent matters is Loth.Smrl@nhs.scot
Fax machines are not considered a safe method of transmitting sensitive information; therefore, fax provision in NHS Lothian is not available.
Core Hours
The core laboratory hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4:30pm on Fridays. The laboratory is closed during weekends, Christmas and New Year holidays. At other times, Lothian laboratory users can discuss urgent AFB microscopy via the Consultant/Specialist Registrar on-call for clinical bacteriology (contact Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh switchboard Tel: 0131 536 1000). There is currently no out-of-hours AFB screening or Reference Laboratory service.
For urgent enquiries out-of-hours, the on call Consultant Microbiologist may be contacted through the RIE switchboard (Tel 0131 536 1000) in the first instance.