NHS Phlebotomy - Drive thru

[The Gauge]

Anyone been to one of these grim places?

I had to have a blood sample taken for my GP and instead of waiting 2 weeks for it to be done at the surgery I went to an NHS drive through Phlebotomy (which I didn't even know we had in my city). Had a 40min wait sat in my car whilst queueing then finally give my sample for testing.

It was a pretty grim environment for the staff, a big warehouse with the shutters open each end for cars to drive in/out, with staff wearing coats & hats due to it being so cold. I really felt for them, so as I had a car boot full of chocolates (I have access to a factory staff shop where I get it dirt cheap) I gifted it to them (and to stop me eating it all)

Reminded me of those drive thru Covid test centres. I'd hate to work there, poor buggers,,,

Edited by The Gauge on Friday 23 October 17:54

[dukeboy749r]

The Gauge said:

Anyone been to one of these grim places?

I had to have a blood sample taken for my GP and instead of waiting 2 weeks for it to be done at the surgery I went to an NHS drive through Phlebotomy (which I didn't even know we had in my city). Had a 40min wait sat in my car whilst queueing then finally give my sample for testing.

It was a pretty grim environment for the staff, a big warehouse with the shutters open each end for cars to drive in/out, with staff wearing coats & hats due to it being so cold. I really felt for them, so as I had a car boot full of chocolates (I have access to a factory staff shop where I get it dirt cheap) I gifted it to them (top me eating it all)

Reminded me of those drive thru Covid test centres. I'd hate to work there, poor buggers,,,

Edited by The Gauge on Friday 23 October 16:15

Never seen one of these places, but your gesture was a top deed for the day.

[bobtail4x4]

our local cottage hospital has a "walk in" vampire dept,
in and out in 15 mins

[Astacus]

This is a bloody disgrace, what the hell were they thinking?
Seriously who the hell comes up with this dehumanising nonsense?

My wife went to a walking A & E in a local town to us recently and the triage system included the step of having shove your arm through a hole in a window for some drone to take your blood pressure. Words utterly fail me

[Terminator X]

Astacus said:

This is a bloody disgrace, what the hell were they thinking?
Seriously who the hell comes up with this dehumanising nonsense?

My wife went to a walking A & E in a local town to us recently and the triage system included the step of having shove your arm through a hole in a window for some drone to take your blood pressure. Words utterly fail me

Pretty grim if diesel fumes etc!

TX.

[geeks]

bobtail4x4 said:

our local cottage hospital has a "walk in" vampire dept,
in and out in 15 mins

Our local actual hospital has one, usually in and out in no time, even has the old school ticket system too (like one of these)

[otolith]

My GP has given me a blood card before which I could take to the local hospital's phlebotomy department and just walk in and be stabbed.

[Voldemort]

I have a local Community Diagnostic Centre where you can book online for a blood test. I have never needed to wait more than 36 hours for an appointment and usually have the luxury of picking a convenient time slot.

[dandarez]

I thought these were only for patients who had difficulty in having a blood test or needing a result quickly?

There are 3 places that cater for this in my area, but none are 'drive through' ones: that's a new one on me.

[The Gauge]

If you zoom into my photo you’ll see that one of the nurses had erected a tent around their workstation presumably to retain a little heat, as they each had an electric heater.

[The Gauge]

geeks said:

Our local actual hospital has one, usually in and out in no time, even has the old school ticket system too (like one of these)

Embarrassingly that ticket dispenser reminds me of visiting the STD clinic in a London hospital back in 1991 (St Margaret s?)

[dandarez]

The Gauge said:

If you zoom into my photo you ll see that one of the nurses had erected a tent around their workstation presumably to retain a little heat, as they each had an electric heater.

You are not kidding either! Jeez.

[The Gauge]

dandarez said:

You are not kidding either! Jeez.

Plus it’ll stink of farts in there!

[bobtail4x4]

The Gauge said:

Embarrassingly that ticket dispenser reminds me of visiting the STD clinic in a London hospital back in 1991 (St Margaret s?)

mate of mine went to the "clap clinic" and got a date with the receptionist,
I suppose she knew he would be clean?

he was a local hero after

[Jasandjules]

Well that's not depressing at all.

[hidetheelephants]

What on earth does this add? A carpark and a portacabin so the staff have reasonable working conditions would achieve the same thing.

[theoperative]

I've never been but everytime Addenbrookes wants me to have a blood test they are keen for me to use their one which frustratingly is across the other side of the City and i refuse to use it.

[21TonyK]

Must be a real shortage of resources where you are OP? Always been able to get mine same day at GP or NHS walk-in centre of local hospital.

[WilsonWilson]

The Gauge said:

Anyone been to one of these grim places?

I had to have a blood sample taken for my GP and instead of waiting 2 weeks for it to be done at the surgery I went to an NHS drive through Phlebotomy (which I didn't even know we had in my city). Had a 40min wait sat in my car whilst queueing then finally give my sample for testing.

It was a pretty grim environment for the staff, a big warehouse with the shutters open each end for cars to drive in/out, with staff wearing coats & hats due to it being so cold. I really felt for them, so as I had a car boot full of chocolates (I have access to a factory staff shop where I get it dirt cheap) I gifted it to them (and to stop me eating it all)

Reminded me of those drive thru Covid test centres. I'd hate to work there, poor buggers,,,

It's the NHS making best use of available resources. That building complex used to process blood donations from South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire then deliver the blood products to all the hospitals in those regions. They have the labs and storage plus the garage which supported the fleet that made all the logistics possible and now lends its self to the driving-in purpose.

The blood service moved to a purpose designed building which replaced that operation and the one at the old Seacroft Hospital (Leeds) which served West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Teesside.

I guess the proximity to a big NHS estate which also contains the Northern General Hospital and Sheffield main mental health centre means the land maybe useful in the future and the buildings can be used for current operations.

It was used as a test and vaccine site during covid. You are parked in the old wash bay.

[The Gauge]

WilsonWilson said:

It's the NHS making best use of available resources. That building complex used to process blood donations from South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire then deliver the blood products to all the hospitals in those regions. They have the labs and storage plus the garage which supported the fleet that made all the logistics possible and now lends its self to the driving-in purpose.

The blood service moved to a purpose designed building which replaced that operation and the one at the old Seacroft Hospital (Leeds) which served West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Teesside.

I guess the proximity to a big NHS estate which also contains the Northern General Hospital and Sheffield main mental health centre means the land maybe useful in the future and the buildings can be used for current operations.

It was used as a test and vaccine site during covid. You are parked in the old wash bay.

Interesting, thanks for the info.