Your doctor has referred you to have a cortisol blood test. You may do this test at any of the collection centres listed on the next page.

What do I need to do?

Please bring your pathology request form with you when you come to an ACT pathology collection centre for your blood collection.

Time of cortisol blood collection

Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands during the day with a maximum release in the early morning and which quickly falls from 10:00am through the afternoon to a minimum around midnight.

Blood collection for cortisol must be done between 8:00am and 10:00am. The timing of this test is important for the results. If you come after 10:00am, the results of the test may not be correct. This means you would have to come back another day with a new request form from your doctor.

Diurnal cortisol blood test

If your doctor has requested a ‘diurnal’ cortisol blood test, you will need to have two blood tests done at two different times of day. One blood test will need to be done between 8:00am and 10:00am and the other blood test between 4:00pm and 5:30pm.

It does not matter which order these two blood tests are done. You can either:

• Come to an ACT pathology collection centre for the first blood test between 8:00am and 10:00am and return that afternoon for the second blood test between 4:00pm to 5:30pm, or
• Come to an ACT pathology collection centre for the first blood test between 4:00pm to 5:30pm and come back the next morning for the second blood test between 8:00am to 10:00am.

Collection centres

For further information, please contact one of the following ACT Pathology collection centres:

Canberra Hospital Building 10 Collection Centre

Open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 8.30am to 12:15pm. Closed on Sunday and public holidays.
Canberra Hospital, Gilmore Cres, Garran (next to Centenary Hospital for Women and Children
Phone (02) 5124 2816.

Tuggeranong Collection Centre

Open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday 8:30am to 12pm. Closed on Sunday, long weekends and public holidays.
Tuggeranong Health Centre Level 1, Corner Anketell & Pitman Streets, Tuggeranong
Phone (02) 5124 1352.

North Canberra Hospital Collection Centre

Open Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm. Closed on Sunday and public holidays.
North Canberra Hospital, 1st Floor, Marian Building, Bruce (Maternity entrance)
Phone: (02) 5124 3815.

Gungahlin Collection Centre

Open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 4.30pm and Saturdays from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Closed Sunday, long weekends and public holidays.
Gungahlin Health Centre, Corner Earnest Cavanagh St & Fussell Lane, Gungahlin
Phone (02) 5124 1135.

Belconnen Collection Centre

Open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
Belconnen Health Centre, Corner Lathlain & Cohen St, Belconnen
Phone (02) 5124 1502.

University of Canberra Hospital Collection Centre

Open Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 3.15pm. Closed on Sunday, long weekends and public holidays.
University of Canberra, 20 Guraguma Street, Bruce
Phone (02) 5124 0230.

Weston Creek Collection Centre

Open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:15pm. Closed on Sunday, long weekends and public holidays.
Weston Creek Walk-in Centre, 24 Parkinson St, Weston
Phone (02) 5124 4174.