Blood Clinics

[aqualates]

Elderly and those with pre existing conditions should social distance yet many of us will still have to have blood tests and attend a local clinic like I had to a couple of days ago. I timed it go at the end hoping for a quick exit yet still had to wait 30 worrying minutes, felt very unsafe. I can't have tests at the doctors as my INR is unstable (it has to be stable for 3 months). Wonder if the NHS has any plans regarding this, surely these clinics must be full of vulnerable people or they wouldn't be attending in the first place.

[Heythrop51]

I have waited two hours in an overcrowded clinic with people standing. What got me was when the majority of the staff went to lunch together!

[aqualates in reply to Heythrop51]

The two nurses as the clinic I attended stopped for a tea break, no one called in for 15 minutes, I know they need a break but not both at once so that the queue is continuously moving albeit more slowly whilst they have their break.

[Prada47 in reply to aqualates]

Thinking about this, It won't matter if they both went together for their Tea Break as opposed to one going for 15 then the other one goes for 15 minutes. They would still Process the same amount of people in a given period of time. Is my logic flawed ??

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Prada47]

You logic is not totally flawed but it is better psychologically for people that the queue moves rather than stalls. I had been waiting an hour in a clinic in a major hospital when all but one phlebotomist went to lunch. Not that many were processed in the next 45 minutes as the waiting area got more crowded.

You could compare it to all the cashiers at the supermarket going for tea together!

[aqualates in reply to Prada47]

No don't think so but I'd still prefer the queue to move slowly than not at all.

[Prada47 in reply to aqualates]

Ah now we move to the Psychology of the Queue a slightly different argument !!!!LOL

[Stuart2441]

Hmmm. A simple answer to any queue forming is do what I did in Lidle while queueing. Give a couple of little coughs and say wow it's warm in here. You will be at the front of the queue in seconds. 😷😷.