The format has been changed and we hope that you will find it 'user friendly'. A comprehensive index of diseases, metabolites and enzymes is presented at the beginning of the directory. This will enable the user to consult the second section by indicating the appropriate table of laboratories able to give assistance in the diagnosis of any disorder by the assay of any specific enzyme or metabolite. No one laboratory provides a full and comprehensive service and some laboratories are so specialised as to be the only provider of some diagnostic assays. As predicted in the previous edition the past five years have seen many changes encompassing both scientific developments and changes in laboratory management.
Most laboratories now cahrge for their services.
We decided not to include price lists as they are likely to be too ephemeral and up to date information on prices will be provided from each laboratory on request. The number of laboratories offering services and their repertoire of tests has grown as has the list of inherited metabolic diseases for which tests are available. Diagnostic tests involving DNA analysis are listed for the first time. Previous editions included information about diagnoses made by each laboratory but we decided not to include this because of problems of confidentiality, duplication of information where more than one laboratory was invloved and the potential inclusion of non-UK data. This directory could not have been completed without the full co-operation of all the laboratories listed and without advice and help from many of our colleagues.