Joyce Watson, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, has called for an investigation into phlebotomy services in Carmarthenshire.
At the moment, it is up to individual GP practices to decide where blood taking services should be carried out but Carmarthenshire Local Health Board encourages doctors to use their own resources as part of the Treatment Room Local Enhanced Service. This service means that doctors are remunerated for doing additional services like phlebotomy. But Joyce has discovered that although all 25 practices in Carmarthenshire are accredited to provide this service, apparently some surgeries are sending their patients to hospitals.
Joyce was following up the case of Llanelli constituent Richard Christopher who had to wait at Prince Philip Hospital for two hours for a routine blood test. He was sent there by his GP practice Adfer Medical Group in Thomas Street, Llanelli.
Joyce has contacted the Local Health Board and called for them to look into this situation. Health managers have already indicated that they will survey practices to find out where patients have their blood taken. They will also be looking at this situation as part of the review of the Treatment Room Local Enhanced Service.
Joyce said: "Sending patients to hospitals for blood tests is inefficient, wasting people's time and putting more pressure on an already overstretched hospital department. I have asked Carmarthenshire Local Health Board to look at this situation and find out exactly what the situation is."
Richard Christopher said: “This situation must not be allowed to continue. Since I raised the issue last September, there have been a number of Llanelli patients making the same points in the local newspaper. Surgeries employ fully trained nurses. They should take the strain from their hospital colleagues and the Practices provide a full, convenient service for their patients. ''
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