Urine General Tests

How should I collect and store a pee (urine) sample?

• Collect your pee (urine) sample in a completely clean (sterile) white screw top sample container which you will need to collect from your GP practice.
• Make sure you label the container with your name, gender, date of birth and date of sample otherwise it will be discarded.
• Start to pee and collect a sample of urine "mid-stream" in the container.
• Screw the lid of the container shut tightly and with tissue dry the outside of the container. If there are droplets in the bag the lab will not process the sample as they will regard it as leaked and so contaminated.
• Place the container in the plastic bag provided along with the test request form
• Wash your hands thoroughly
• Your sample should be handed in straight away ie on the same day or next day if done in the evening bearing in mind our pick up for samples is around 10:30am and 3pm. 
• Old samples ie more than 24 hours will be discarded by the lab.
• If the sample is not labelled with the date the lab may also discard the sample

What is a mid-stream urine sample?

A mid-stream urine sample means you don't collect the first or last part of urine that comes out. This reduces the risk of the sample being contaminated with bacteria from:
your hands  the skin around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body

Storing a urine sample

If you can't hand your urine sample in within 1 hour, you should put the container in a sealed plastic bag then store it in the fridge at around 4C. Do not keep it for longer than 24 hours.

The bacteria in the urine sample can multiply if it is not kept in a fridge. If this happens, it could affect the test results.