Minimum standards in laboratories for infection control.

Laboratory services should be available to support every infection control programme, whether in a hospital or community setting. The services will depend upon available resources and the expectation of the clinicians using the services. Equally, resources reflect the level of staff expertise, equipment and finances supporting laboratory practice. All information given to the clinical staff should be sensible, accurate, comprehensible and in keeping with the clinical needs of the healthcare setting. Internal and external quality controls should be rigorous. Not all laboratories are expected to provide an all-encompassing service and therefore primary, secondary and tertiary or referral laboratories should be established where necessary. It is essential to have clear protocols on laboratory usage, mutually agreed between the laboratory and clinical staff to be cost effective.