UK Standards for Microbiological Investigations (formally National Standard Methods)

9 May 2012

The new website holding UK Standard for Microbiology Investigations (SMIs) is available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/SMI. 

There is no requirement for a password and all the documents can be easily downloaded in PDF without restriction. It is anticipated that laboratories will convert the PDF format to word format when required.

An RSS feed for the web page is in operation and provides updates for issued and re-Issued documents. The link to the SMI RSS feed is located on the main UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations page; www.hpa.org.uk/SMI. Click on the link to 'Standards RSS' under the Section called ‘Subscribe to the SMI RSS feed’. Next click on the green cross on the top left of the page that says subscribe to this feed. You will then be able to keep up to date with new developments relating to SMIs.

The new web pages on which the SMI documents are displayed are part of the HPA website.  An alternative route to the SMI webpages is as follows: 

Home › Products & Services › Infectious Diseases ›UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations (SMI).

SMIs are primarily intended as a general resource for practicing professionals in microbiology laboratory in the UK and assist with the laboratory diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. In addition, this new online resource aims also to provide support to clinical microbiologists and commissioners of microbiology services.

The following documents have recently been issued/reissued:

S 6 Sexually Transmitted Infections

Q 56 is reassigned as a clinical guidance G 7 Investigation of Red Rash

V 11 Anti-HIV Screening

Two other Syndromic algorithms are available in draft format;

S 5 – Encephalitis
and
S 7 Gastroenteritis and Diarrhoea

If you would like to contact the Standards Unit please send your message to standards@hpa.org.uk.

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