UPDATE 30May25:
As you know, we have undertaken major upgrades to the laboratory’s effluent treatment plant (ETP) over the past few months. We are pleased to confirm that the validation of this new equipment is now complete. However, as part of the final safety requirements, we must successfully demonstrate the ability to safely fumigate the area housing the ETP.
Unfortunately, this fumigation testing has not yet passed, despite several attempts. We believe we have now identified and addressed the underlying issues, and another validation fumigation is scheduled for this weekend. The results of this validation will take up to one week to process, and we will provide a further update towards the end of next week.
In the meantime, we are continuing to process rabies samples from customers based in the UK and EU as normal. For customers outside the EU, we have maintained access to testing through our overseas agent—please contact us directly for further details on how to proceed.
We sincerely apologise for the ongoing disruption and thank you for your continued patience and understanding. Restoring full service remains our highest priority, and we will keep you informed of any significant developments.
We wish to inform our customers of an upcoming temporary shutdown of our rabies testing facility. The laboratory, a state-of-the-art high-containment facility, requires significant upgrades to its effluent treatment plant in order to maintain the highest safety standards. Due to the critical nature of this equipment, we must close the facility for the duration of these works.
To minimise any disruption, we have scheduled this closure over the festive period, the quietest time of year for testing. The laboratory will formally shut down on November 29th, with work commencing on December 2nd. The last tests prior to shutdown will be set up on November 27th. We will make every effort to complete all samples received on or before this date.
This major upgrade is expected to take up to 15 weeks. To expedite the process, our engineering team will be working extended hours, including weekends. We are also exploring options to operate with limited capacity during the upgrade period, but please be aware that rabies testing may not be possible for the full duration.
We will provide ongoing updates through our website, social media channels, and email. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our dedicated rabies team at 0131 440 2628 or via email.