Is it this hard to get blood tests everywhere now?

[LlamaNoDrama]

My GP surgery now send people on a 34 mile (50 min) round trip to get bloods done. This is in a car if you drive.

I've no idea how people who don't drive manage (it would be at least two buses or a train and one or two buses depending on your mobility).

Then you have to wait 3-4 weeks for an appt.

I think it's ridiculous?

Our GP surgery still does them in house. They have a phlebotomist do the blood test and then you can look on the NHS app for the results. If there is something bad come up, then you get rung by someone at the practice before they put the result on.

Generally 2 options here.

• book at the local town hospital, appointments generally running 2 weeks later.

Timed appointment and last time I went I was in and out within 5 mins of my appointment time. Free parking.

• drive through service at a local park and ride site.

I used it once in covid and drove straight in, the attendant said it was amazingly quiet and was usually a 1-2 hour wait. I tried it a few weeks ago and when I got to the attendant (after about a 10 min wait) it was to take a ticket and go and park up, she said they were running at about a 90 minute wait but it can be 2-4 hours. I left, as my test wasn't urgent, and booked at the hospital.

My GP will take bloods, but usually where more urgent.
Prior to the recent test I'd been very unwell and they took bloods during an initial consultation then asked me to come back to the GP for repeat bloods 2 days later, and again 10 days later.

I book mine online. There's loads of places to choose from so I go for the ones I can get to (I don't have a car) including my local GP surgery. But yes there is a long wait and I recently had one cancelled and had to rebook so it will have been a couple of months since my GP said I needed one 😏

My GP surgery has a nurse that does blood tests at the surgery. I thought most surgeries did?

My gp still does them in house. Actually it’s one of the receptionists who did a phlebotomist course who does them, so one day a week she does nothing but blood samples. I think that’s probably a practical solution as it’s quite a low banding on nhs so rather than take up Gp / nursing time to have multi talented people elsewhere in the team.

My GP surgery is still doing them, but I couldn't get an appointment for a month. I thought that was bad enough till I just read this thread, I suppose I should be grateful I can still get them done.

I had to wait six weeks for a GP appointment in five weeks for an 0H appointment for my hip that is killing me. It is definitely a lot more difficult to make appointments and getting any care then it was even two years ago.. I hate to think what it will be like in two years time