Home > For patients > Departments and services > Laboratory Medicine > Microbiology Laboratory

Microbiology Laboratory

Find us and contact us|

Microbiology is concerned with the identification and effective treatment of living organisms that can colonise the body and cause infectious disease, something that remains one of the biggest threats to human health and wellbeing today.

In addition, the laboratory works with the specialists in infectious diseases and public health on the surveillance of organisms both within the community and the hospitals.

We examine patients' samples for the presence of bacteria, viruses, funghi and parasites, which may cause a range of diseases from meningitis to athlete's foot.

In addition to identification, we also contribute to the treatment of patients and to the control of infection throughout the hospital and community.

Microbiology is constantly changing. In the late 1970s AIDS and HIV were unknown, yet by the year 2000 an estimated 22 million HIV related deaths had occurred worldwide. In 1975, Legionnaires' disease and Ebola virus were unknown, yet a year later both were making newspaper headlines. Even the organisms we already know about are changing. The mid 1980s saw the first medically important bacteria emerge which were resistant to all antimicrobial treatment.

In Oxford, we provide a service to over 600,000 patients living in the area and examine over 400,000 samples per year.

The laboratory is crucial to the operation of the Infection Control Service and the efficient and effective use of antibiotics within the hospital and in the community.

---

Find us and contact us

The Microbiology department is on Level 7 of the John Radcliffe Hospital|.

From the main entrance on Level 2 of the John Radcliffe Hospital, walk down the corridor and take the central lifts to Level 7. On leaving the lift look for the Microbiology sign (on the corridor that has no wards). Walk to the end of this corridor where there is a hatch. Please ring the bell and someone from the Microbiology department will assist you.

The Microbiology hatch is open:

• Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm
• Saturdays 8.30am - 12.00 noon