Clostridium difficile Ribotyping Service for East Midlands and West Midlands Regions

The HPA Regional Microbiology Network is pleased to offer a Clostridium difficile ribotyping service to NHS Hospitals in the East Midlands and West Midlands Regions to support the investigation of outbreaks and incidents.

This arrangement is part of the C. difficile Ribotyping Network for England (CDRNE) mentioned in the Deprtment of Health Letter PL CMO (2007)4: Changes to the mandatory healthcare associated infection surveillance system for Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea from April 2007 on 11 April 2007

This will enable better service for colleagues, Trusts and patients in your region and assist with controlling C. difficile.

Please find below the necessary information and request forms required to access the service in your region.

Please note that NHS laboratories cannot send specimens to the ribotyping laboratory without prior discussion and agreement (see contact details document below).

In addition, note that you will need to provide patient outcome data on receipt of the ribotyping results as a pre-condition of accessing this service.

• Selection criteria guidance (PDF, 33 KB)
• Accessing the service in the East and West Midlands (PDF, 27 KB)
• Clostridium difficile ribotyping specimen request form: East and West Midlands Regions (PDF, 80 KB)
• Good practice guide to control (PDF, 289 KB)
• Guidance on specimen storage (PDF, 41 KB)

Last reviewed: 23 April 2009