To think there has to be a better way for blood tests

[Babysharkdoodoodoodo]

Just had a letter (real one, not email) from the GP reminding me to get a blood test done.

However, I work full time Mon-Fri. The only way to get blood tests done is through the chemist at 9.00 until 11 or the walk-in centre from 8 until 4. In reality they stop at around 2 as the queues are so long. I've had to wait 2.5 hours before now. Again only Mon-Fri.

I leave for work, currently at 6.30 and get home around 5ish. Then I'm going away for work for most of January and February, and only then will I have time to get one done.

Equally I can't even get to see a gp as they've reduced their surgery hours having knocked the one late evening they did on the head.

What happened to extended hours? Adverts on all the buses round here, but no surgeries are doing them?

I emailed them back explaining this, but they haven't even bothered replying.

You’ve ruled out every option suggested to you so I guess you won’t be having a blood test.

Sounds like it’s for fasting bloods in which case most drop in clinics do anyone fasting first so the wait probably won’t be too long.

@Mummyoflittledragon - well yes that’s why I said depending on the test needed eg thyroid checks can be done via finger prick.

OP, cholesterol can also be checked via one of those finger prick tests.

I really don’t know what to suggest but it sounds urgent so your work are being really unreasonable if they don’t let you have time off for that.

I had a look at the medicheck as suggested, but the local clinic closest to me ironically is the local hospital, which have the same time constraints.
However, looking at their tests they do the hbac1 via a fingerpick rather the gallons they usually take so I might go for that, even if it is £40.

It's not an urgent blood test though, so I don't know why they're being arsey with me. It's my annual hba1c which isn't due for another 4 months!

Good idea OP
Get the cholesterol one too then you have the full shebang.

Take the results into the surgery and get them to scan them on whenever you have 5 mins, the GP should accept them the same way as any other path result especially as they’re not giving you any other option!

Here, you can only get bloods done at the GP surgery. They also have to be done before midday, as that's when the samples are collected. The first appointment for a blood test is at 8.30.

It's not a problem for me, as I work really near the surgery so am able to pop out for half an hour or so, but for people with a long commute, they have to take a couple of hours off work.

PatMullins
I can see you said that now. However at the time it was a cross post.

Glad you’ve found a solution. I hope the finger prick test works. I’m one of the small percentage of people, who can’t milk their finger or whatever the terminology is.

Ring the blood test clinic and ask about your options. An nhs blood test can usually be done at other nhs hospitals so you can go in your lunch hour at work. Some blood test clinics let you make appointments.
I had a blood test form for my local hospital but was visiting another hospital 45 mins away at this hospital said it was fine to do it there as their systems are linked. Might have to be in the same borough though x

@Babysharkdoodoodoodo could you not get them done at the hospital?

You mention training in the Midlands - both Solihull and Heartlands Hospitals near Birmingham do blood tests at the weekends. Just take your form explaining what you need :)

Prioritise your health. Of course you can take time off work in order to get the blood test done, training or not. No reasonable employer would deny you a late start/early finish/longer lunch break in order to do this. Especially if you explain why you cannot do it outside working hours.

I don't think the GP is being arsey, they have a legal duty to prescribe safely and monitor your medications. If they don't monitor and you suffer harm, they may be legally responsible. Even if the GP has recommended monitoring and the patient chose to not have the test, GPs have sometimes been found responsible for not explaining why the patient needed the test so they understood the risks.

It is shit that phlebotomy services don't have extended opening hours and have long queues, I presume due to lack of funding and difficulty recruiting staff. It's also shit that employers are often inflexible and commutes and hours long so that people can't get to the daytime clinics. That doesn't excuse the GP from their legal duty though.

The GP provided phlebotomy appointments were often by goodwill from the GP practice, GPs don't usually get any extra money for blood taking clinics, and that member of staff employed by the GP practice could be doing something else. So if they provided blood tests they would be providing less of something else. Most GP practices are small businesses and many are really really struggling at present, so they are not able to provide extra services that aren't required in their contract.

Which doesn't help you obviously, but maybe gives a bit of context.

If there is a time you will be able to get the blood test in future, I'd book a telephone appt with GP and explain when you can get it and see if they can wait until then. Before you pay for a private blood test please check they can accept the result as obviously not all labs are reliable and if they are unfamiliar with a lab they may be unwilling to accept the result.

You can also get a blood test done at any hospital or clinic with the paperwork from your doctor.

I was told this was no longer an option by our surgery when they offered me an appointment in a month's time....

Could you list all the places your have training and someone may be able to suggest a place that does easy walk in blood tests?

I work in a blood testing lab and we accept forms fron anywhere in the country, as long is it clearly states your gp's address so we can send them the results.

Coventry has lots of early/late clinics if this is an option for you.

I'm in the midlands, my GP Surgery offer extended opening on one night a week but not for blood tests.

The local walk in takes blood forms from any surgery in the county, so could try a walk in.

Practice nurse here. Our clinic is open 8-6.30 mon- fri and we struggle to staff that. Staffing extended hours would mean removing people from mon-fri shifts which research shows are far better attended. I can work every evening of the week if you like, but then won't be available on a busy Monday morning for example or Friday afternoon. There's only so far you can stretch what you have. You'd also need a transport system to collect the bloods and take them to hospital out of hours, which we don't currently have. Taking the blood is only half the job. Not as straightforward as you think.
Our hospital does evenings for phlebotomy.

Bit random but if you've had any children and still have your midwifes number, she may do it, I needed some bloods and my surgery couldn't get me in for three weeks! So I asked my midwife from my last pregnancy, she said come to the birth centre and she did it in the evening! Very good of her I know.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm going to wait until the 27th December as I'm really all over the place until then. And as I said, this is an annual test that they want done 4 months early, so it really isnt urgent. My last tests have been on the non-diabetic level as I eat LCHF and my sugar levels are really well controlled. They are pushing me into going onto statins and metformin which I'm digging my heels about. I'm on so many pills after breast cancer, that any more side effects and I'll have to give up work.

I'm an ex-nurse so I do know a little bit about my own health and I can't see any reason to go extra medication. I've lost weight and brought my sugar down with diet. My eyes and extremities are healthy and the last time I went to the gp, it was for a medication check.

There have been absolutely no red flags, so I don't know why they're pushing for this. I'm not going on metformin. I tried it and I was so I'll. I couldn't be more than 2 minutes from a toilet. Even the slow release was bad. So I followed the diet instead and everything's been fine.

Unless there's some kind of financial incentive for them? Or is that me being paranoid?