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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

gp doesn't do blood test?

87 replies

mousmous · 18/03/2015 15:42

so have to treck to major hospital at bloody inconvenient time to have it done.
aibu to think such a basic service should be done there and then?

OP posts:
LowryFan · 18/03/2015 17:00

Our local pharmacy does them for about £5 which is handy. Especially if you have to fast first and need a certain time.

Petallic · 18/03/2015 17:01

What type of blood test was it? I had blood taken for a range of tests at my GP surgery recently & nurse said one was a pointless request by GP as by the time my blood reached the labs one of the tests wouldn't be able to be done as has to be done within x hours & that I should expect a letter in the post asking me to attend hospital to have blood re-taken.

proceeding · 18/03/2015 17:06

That is really inconvenient!! There's a phlebs person at our GP who comes in a couple of times a week. Otherwise we'll a small day unit place where you can go from 7.30 in the morning (although the warfarin patients get in ahead of you).

You don't want a blood test done by a GP anyway OP. They're crap at taking blood. A midwife or a phlebotomist are the only people let near my veins.

EeekEeekEeekEeek · 18/03/2015 17:07

you can take your little bag down to a local hospital that does walk-ins

It's that system here. I have to go to the hospital to have bloods taken, and I actually find it better than the GP - there's a big drop-in phleb clinic so you can choose when's best for you work and transport-wise (and at the last minute, if you need to); lots of staff, minimal wait, nurses very quick and gentle with the needles. In and out in 15 minutes, done.

swazza · 18/03/2015 17:10

Thats crap! Ours is done with the nurse - not usually the same day but within a few days usually.

I think it is a pretty piss poor service not offering bloods. What a carry on when most people will have already waited 3 weeks or so to see their GP, then have to wait again for a bloods appointment and take more time off work etc.

The elderly and diabled have not been thought about much with this scenario either.

Its just another example of our creaking NHS sadly.

snowglobemouse · 18/03/2015 17:11

why do you have to take a day off work for a 10 min appt?!

trice · 18/03/2015 17:12

We have to go to sainsburys on a Friday. They give you a bleeper so you can go to the cafe while you wait or do your shopping. It is the phlebotomy staff from the hospital in a little room behind the pharmacy. Its great.

pigsinmud · 18/03/2015 17:18

Village GP here - only 1 GP in the practice. I saw my GP last Thursday and he wanted bloods done so I had to make an appointment with the nurse, which was Tuesday. Back to GP next Tuesday for results...not exactly speedy, but I appreciate the convenience.

KatieKaye · 18/03/2015 17:23

Not true that no GPs do bloods. I normally see the practice nurse but if my veins are playing up there is one GP who is a wizard at taking blood and they ask him to do it.

RandomNPC · 18/03/2015 17:27

I'm VERY surprised the Practice Nurse/ HCA doesn't do it in clinic. It's a pain in the arse to have to go to the hospital!

UnikittyInHerBusinessSuit · 18/03/2015 17:29

I find the walk in clinic at Guys infinitely more convenient than my GPs. I take the little bag in first thing and am in and out by 8:35am. And because it's a dedicated phlebotomist they're normally much better at it.

fuctifino · 18/03/2015 17:33

Yep, they don't do bandaging either. Dd was discharged from hospital with instructions to have bandage changed twice a week. Nope, doctors (or should I say nurse) don't do it. Result was twice weekly trips to a&e bandaging clinic for a month.
Ridiculous!

EeekEeekEeekEeek · 18/03/2015 17:34

*Thats crap! Ours is done with the nurse - not usually the same day but within a few days usually.

I think it is a pretty piss poor service not offering bloods. What a carry on when most people will have already waited 3 weeks or so to see their GP, then have to wait again for a bloods appointment and take more time off work etc.*

hang on, hang on . . . people have to wait again for a bloods apt where you are, too. It's just that you make an apt to see the nurse at the GP surgery, whereas the OP has to go to a different place (the hospital).

Whichever way it happens there's a second apt, because as myusername says, no GP ever takes bloods.

windchime · 18/03/2015 17:37

Hospital consultants don't take bloods either. That is was phlebotomists are for. And they generally hang out in hospitals. I am guessing your GP surgery doesn't have an x-ray machine either? Bummer!

Naty1 · 18/03/2015 17:50

I agree its not good if
You are elderly
Pregnant/with young kids
And have a condition that requires frequent tests
Eg my thyroid - ive had about 4 tests since oct due to pg.

But i think you should be given the bag and told you can do either - as when i was at work , impossible to get a nurse appt on a specific day and then a 1-2hr round trip from work or pop into hospital. They are amazing at getting the veins.
It would have cost £16 to get into town for all these tests plus not that easy pg and with a 3yo.

honeysucklejasmine · 18/03/2015 17:52

You can't make an appt at my hospital. Sat there for 1.5 hours yesterday, that was the morning!

FunkyPeacock · 18/03/2015 17:56

Mine don't either but the hospital phlebotomy clinic is open most days, although not 9-5 and you don't need an appointment, you just turn up and wait.
On the 2 occasions when I've had to go I've probably had to wait a max of about 20mins - I actually prefer this system as it's more flexible but the hospital is only a 20mins drive away

MiaowTheCat · 18/03/2015 18:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 18/03/2015 19:25

That is rubbish.

I just take my little bag to work and ask the blood nurses if they have time to take the sample.

Perk of working in a hospital I guess.

Pengweng · 18/03/2015 19:33

I have to go to a clinic to get mine done. I assumed this was standard practise as easier to send off everyone's blood together to the lab than just a few from all the different GP's in the area.

Madamecastafiore · 18/03/2015 20:21

I cannot believe the short sightedness of people.

Maybe stop all IVF or cancer treatment for over 60s and funnel the cash into making sure there is a nurse situated in every doctors surgery for blood taking and bandaging!!

RandomNPC · 18/03/2015 20:22

Er, every surgery should have a PN

RandomNPC · 18/03/2015 20:23

Who do you think does the immunisations, the fairies?

IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes · 18/03/2015 20:25

Our does and we only a tiny town but not childrens.

You can have them done at local hospital no appointment needed just turn up and wait for your number to be called. Always busy though

YvesJutteau · 18/03/2015 20:29

It's the having to make the appointment that's the problem, I think. Our hospital operates a take-a-number-and-wait system for phlebotomy and opens from 7.30am (or might even be 7am), so it's relatively easy for most working people (I accept not all) to do it on the way to work.