Thanks to a partnership between NHS trusts and the GP Care Group, patients can now have an Outpatients blood test at any Tower Hamlets GP practice.
Tower Hamlet's Barts Health patients no longer need to attend hospital for a blood test after the new community phlebotomy service was launched in Tower Hamlets, echoing the model working across north east London boroughs in four Newham community phlebotomy clinics and three Waltham Forest community phlebotomy clinics.
This new service will help to keep patients away from the hospital and safe in light of the current Covid-19 pandemic.
GP practices are open to patients who have had blood tests requested by GPs or by hospital teams. As well as offering greater convenience and cutting down on travel time, they are also helping patients avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital while Covid-19 remains in circulation.
How it works:
Patients will be given a leaflet and information when they see their Consultant. Patients will be asked to call the GP Care Group on the SPA number 0300 033 5000 to request a blood test label and appointment. If the SPA cannot connect to the practice the patient will be asked to call the practice direct and book their own appointment. The SPA will print the label and post it out to the patient by first class post. The patient will then be able to get their blood tests completed at their local GP practice.
Find out more about the service in this blog from consultant Tom Butler who is leading the project on behalf of Barts Health. Read it here.
More information can be found on the Barts Health site.