Aerial view of Vancouver General Hospital Campus

Laboratory services at VGH provides a full range of services such as blood collection, colon cancer screening tests and more to patients within Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and other healthcare facilities across the province.

How to access Laboratory Services at VGH

  • Get a lab requisition form

    You will need a laboratory requisition for any test at a VCH laboratory. Have your primary health care provider complete a lab requisition form.

    Note for referring health professionals: 

    Referrals are accepted by fax or patient walk-in. Urgent referrals are accepted by phone. Many offices do not accept direct calls from patients after referral to book their own appointments.

    Required information/investigations for all referrals:

    • LM labs approved requisition
    • Ordering practitioner's full name, contact information and MSP number.
    • Laboratory requisitions must be filled out with all MoH-required information, or patients will not be accepted.

    For full details on Laboratory Services for referring health professionals, visit https://one.vch.ca/dept-project/VCH-Regional-Laboratory-Medicine (VCH, PHC or PHSA staff login required). 

  • Book an appointment online

    Sign up or log into the Outpatient Laboratory Online Booking System and pick this location or your preferred laboratory location and appointment date and time. You can use your online account from any device to book, change or cancel any appointment. 

    If you're a first time user of the booking system, you'll be asked to create an account. You only have to create an account once.

    Questions about the online system? Review the Laboratory Online Booking FAQs for support.

    Not all tests are available at all laboratory sites at all times; some tests require an appointment or fasting before specimen collection.

  • Prepare for your test

    You will need to prepare for the test differently depending on the type of test you're receiving. Review instructions on how to prepare for a test before your visit. Instructions available include: 

    • How to prepare for a urine test
    • How to collect a stool sample
    • How to collect a urine sample

    Check with your doctor or the laboratory you're visiting with any specific questions about sample collection.  

  • At the Laboratory

    Double-check your demographic information on the laboratory requisition to ensure it is correct. If the information is not correct, please contact your health care provider.

    On the day of your appointment, bring the laboratory requisition, along with a piece of government-issued identification, such as the BC Services Card, to the laboratory.

    Read the At the Laboratory FAQs for full details on what to expect at the laboratory.

  • Get your test results

    There are multiple ways to get your test results, depending on the type of test you have. Turnaround times for results depend on the type of test you have. 

    Get results online with MyCareCompass 

    Many results for outpatient tests performed at VCH laboratories are available online through the fast and secure MyCareCompass system. Patients who are registered at MyCareCompass can get results electronically.

    MyCareCompass 

    Self-monitoring

    You may be authorized to self-monitor for specific results, such as INR. Self-monitoring requires that your doctor authorize the laboratory to release your results to you by phone. Please speak to the staff at your laboratory about how to arrange this. 

    Getting results by mail

    Please speak to the staff at your laboratory for instructions on how to receive your results by mail.

    Request to access patient's file

    If you are a caregiver, to request information from your child's medical file, print the release of information form.  Once complete, fax or mail the form to the Hospital where you are making the request (instructions and a contact list are included with the release of information form).

    Please note that due to the volume of requests received, it may take four weeks or more to process release of information.  For privacy reasons, DO NOT send personal medical information by email.

Hours of operation

Currently open
  • Monday:   7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
  • Tuesday:   7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
  • Wednesday:   7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
  • Thursday:   7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
  • Friday:   7:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
  • Saturday:   Closed
  • Sunday:   Closed

Transplant patients hours are 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Hours of operation are for outpatient blood collection services only.

How to get here

The Laboratory is located on the first level of the Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre.

There is pay parking available at our two visitor lots located on the VGH campus:

  • Multi-level parkade at the corner of West 12th Avenue and Laurel Street, across from the main entrance of the Jim Pattison Pavilion.
  • The Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre parking lot is located off of Laurel Street between West 12th and West 13th Avenue.

There is a wheelchair-accessible overpass from the VGH parkade at Level 4 and a crosswalk at Level 2.

Parking rates for VCH facilities

Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)

Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) offers specialized health-care services to residents in Vancouver and across the province through regional programs. We provide a full range of basic and highly specialized emergency health-care and trauma services to British Columbia.

Laboratory Services

Laboratory services provide a full range of services such as blood collection, colon cancer screening tests and more to patients within Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and other healthcare facilities across the province.