Hi everyone, hope you are all managing ok being in isolation.
I was wondering if anyone else is having difficulties with getting a blood test appointment. I have my next appointment on 6 May with my haematology dept at Bath hospital. I tried to get appointment at my Drs for the blood test, the receptionist said they were not doing routine blood tests at the moment. I told her I had the appointment and needed the blood test to link with it. She said, I will probably get a cancellation, so blood test won’t be needed......if that’s the case, and maybe I will have my appointment via the telephone again, either way I still need the blood test. I am not sure what to do now 🤔
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Yvette49
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Hi Yvette, perhaps you can contact the department at Bath to ask them about your appointment and if it is going to be a telephone consultation again and therefore what do you do about the blood test, they might be able to send you the blood test request form and then you can explain to your GP surgery that you need to have the blood test. Best wishes, Maz
Hi Maz, Thanks for your reply, I have my blood test envelope that Bath posted to me....think I will see what the surgery says when I ring next week, if they refusing to do it, I will ring Bath....
Hi Yvette, I use Bath as well. They’ve sent me a blood form after my last phone consultation. Currently my Gp surgery are still doing bloods. I explained it was for Bath and ongoing monitoring and then it wasn’t a problem. Its funny how all surgeries are acting differently.
I had my blood test at my local surgery last week - I was triaged when I made the appointment and then again on the morning of the appointment. The nurse was in full PPE, there was no one else in the waiting area and the door was kept open. When I made the appointment I told them I had a 'blood test envelope' and that it was for a regular haematology appointment at the hospital. I hope you manage to get an appointment soon. Kari.
I think this may be a classic case of - "Assertive patients receive higher quality care. Passive patients do not." Sounds like a case of crossed wires. Time for persistence and insistence. Of course you need a CBC to even have a tele-consult. I just set mine up that way with no problem. Hope you get it all sorted out ASAP.
I have my telephone appointment with my consultant on the 30th April. When this was confirmed just after Easter I was told that I would need to have my blood tests as usual prior to my appointment, but I could have them done at my GPs if they were prepared to do them.
I contacted my GP surgery, explained the situation and managed to get an appointment with the practice nurse at my GP fairly easily. I was triaged the day before my appointment, which was a week before my telephone consultation, and on arrival for my blood tests had to wait outside the surgery to be escorted in. After the blood test was done I was escorted out of the building. All of the staff and the nurse wore PPE. While I was there only one other patient arrived.
The only problem is that the bloods will be tested at a different hospital to the one I attend for my consultation and, because the blood form was provided by my consultant the results will not be sent back to my GP, where the tests were done. I am therefore going to have to liaise with the secretary of my consultant to make sure that the results have been received by my consultant in time for my consultation.
Hi Yvette, I have the same problem at my GP’s. Two receptionists working, if you get the right one she’s very helpful and the other one you might as well not bothered phoning. I choose my days for phoning.
My GP phoned because I had asked for my various prescriptions to be delivered. I explained that all patients with blood cancers were meant to be in the shielded group. He said that I must not attend the hospital for my ET bloods as the risk was too high, (259 Covid positive deaths there so far)
Yet he wants a letter from my consultant haematologist before putting me on the shielded list!
I contacted the consultant’s secretary and was referred to the Haematology nurse. I was told not to have bloods this time, as they have been stable for years, and she asked the consultant to arrange a repeat prescription, and a phone appointment in three months.
I was impressed with Boots the Chemist in our local part of the hospital group. The Pharmacist spent two days getting my consultant to complete the prescription request correctly. He said he would provide an emergency supply if necessary. I explained that I was shielding and my elderly husband would collect my prescription, so he told him to drive to the hospital drop of point and phone, and he ran out with the medicine.
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I will give them till 11.00 tomorrow 😏
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