About National Standard Methods (SOPs)
The SOPs and other documents are freely available
here in Adobe Acrobat as
PDF documents.
We invite all microbiologists to contribute to the development of these documents. Please apply to become a registered user in order to access our secure web pages. From here you may access the documents in Microsoft Word format and email us with your comments on draft documents or those under review .
National Standard Methods (1-8) are a comprehensive referenced collection of clinical microbiology SOPs, algorithms (for virology and serology), and guidance notes, consisting of over 200 documents. National Standard Methods have been developed since 1996 by working groups of experienced laboratory-based medical and scientific microbiologists from throughout the HPA (previously the PHLS) and NHS.
The development of National Standard Methods and algorithms is undertaken under the auspices of the HPA in conjunction with the NHS and the National Public Health Service for Wales and with professional societies including the Association of Medical Microbiologists, Association of Clinical Microbiologists, Institute of Biomedical Science, Clinical Virology Network and the Scottish Microbiology Association.
Each document is based on existing good practice and the evidence available. Each document also undergoes a comprehensive consultation process involving the many staff in microbiology laboratories who have asked for passwords from throughout the UK and overseas as well as Reference Laboratories and other experts to ensure the best possible practice is reflected in the methods. However laboratories may add to the methods if they do not reflect their local needs.
National Standard Methods are educational and encourage participating laboratories to retain an enquiring attitude. In addition, they are designed to help ensure that laboratories provide a good clinical and public health microbiology service.
Evidence of using SOPs is an essential requirement of accreditation schemes. National Standard Methods remove the need for laboratories to write and update their own methods from first principles. An additional bonus is that all National Standard Methods are well referenced, have advice on current health and safety legislation and are edited by a senior microbiologist before issue. National Standard Methods can also help laboratories that are beginning to work together in pathology networks to agree a standard method making it easier for staff to work in different laboratories within the network, so enhancing convenience and efficiency.
The production of National Standard Methods has been part of a continuing process of quality development in the HPA (and previously the PHLS) that will help the microbiology community allow for the monitoring and updating of methods as required by changing practice and technology. Importantly standardising methods across laboratories also improves the quality of epidemiological data collected.
National SOPs have recently been translated into Italian.
- Djemal K, Matthews S, Bevan V (on behalf of the PHLS Standardisation of Clinical Bacteriology Methods Working Group). Standardisation of Clinical Bacteriology Methods. PHLS Microbiology Digest 1996 March: 13 (1); 39-40
- Djemal K, Bevan V (on behalf of the PHLS Standardisation of Clinical Bacteriology Methods Working Group). PHLS Standard Operating Procedure for the investigation of throat swabs (BSOP 9). PHLS Microbiology Digest 1996 Dec: 13(4); 230-5
- Bevan V. Standard methods in bacteriology. Communicable Disease and Public Health 1998 March: 1(1); 67
- Djemal K, Bevan V. Progress on the standardisation of methods in the PHLS. Communicable Disease and Public Health 1998 March: 1(1); 68
- Djemal K, Messer S. Auditing the implementation of standard methods. Communicable Disease and Public Health 1998 March: 1(1); 68
- Finlay R, Gray J. Production of standard operating procedures, algorithms and guidance notes for virology and serology. Communicable Disease and Public Health 2000 Sept: 3(3); 225-6
- Barringer E, Bevan V. The big bang - evolution of PHLS standard operating procedures. Communicable Disease and Public Health 2002 Dec: 5(4); 346-348
- Bevan V, Gillanders S. A Standard Approach. Communicable Disease and Public Health 2004 June: 7(2); 154-157