Islanders can now have bloods taken at their local GP practice instead of having to trek to St Mary’s Hospital or Ryde Wellbeing Centre, with the new service set to remain until at least March 2021.
Since the start of the lockdown, the walk-in blood test service at St Mary’s Hospital has been reduced to urgent requests only. Blood tests at the Ryde Health and Wellbeing Centre have also been temporarily suspended.
After listening to feedback from patients, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust is now able to offer a new service to most patients whose GP has requested a blood test. However, there are slightly difference arrangements for patients in Ryde and at Cowes Medical Centre.
Islanders will be offered a 15-minute appointment at their GP practice which means waiting times will be reduced and there will be less travelling involved. An online GP appointment can be made in addition to booking an appointment over the phone.
Dr Michele Legg, GP and clinical chair of the CCG, said:
“Coronavirus forced us to put in place temporary arrangements, but now we have an opportunity to redesign service fit for the future.
“It’s so important people continue to access GP services either by calling the practice or going on the practice website. If a GP or nurse thinks you need a blood test, you will now be able to book this in at the time of the request being made. Having it in your GP practice should mean you do not have to travel as far, you don’t need to go into a hospital setting and you are in a place familiar to you.
“We are also introducing a 15-minute appointment slot. This means you will not have to spend ages sitting in a waiting room with other people, and the time allows for staff to make sure the environment is clean both before and after you arrive.”
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Patients registered at Cowes Medical Centre will continue to access blood tests at St Mary’s Hospital – but they can make an appointment so do not need to sit in a waiting room for too long.
Patients registered at Esplanade Surgery in Ryde will need to book an appointment at a ‘pod’ location in Westridge Centre. Some patients from Argyll House and Tower House in Ryde will still be required to make an appointment in St Mary’s Hospital and the practices will be able to provide assistance and guidance for this.
This interim change will be in place until the end of March next year.
Joe Smyth, Chief Operating Officer for Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said:
“We believe this change will help provide people with timely and safe access to blood tests. Those who do need to come into St Mary’s for a test can be assured we have made changes to ensure your safety.”
Joanna Smith, manager of Healthwatch Isle of Wight, said:
“This is a really positive result for people on the Island and is something we have been recommending to health services. It’s great to see that people will not have to travel far for blood tests and that more appointments will be available for them at their own GP practice. We hope that this will mean more people can receive the tests they need at a time and place which is convenient to them.”
I have just been in contact with my GP at the Bay medical centre in Sandown and will have to wait for 4 to 8 weeks for one of these appointments for an annual review blood test. If I had asked last week for a blood test I could have gone to St Mary’s without this wait. Why is it going to take so long get a
15 minute appointment which is supposed to be better for the patient?
Brilliant way forward
Quite agree…..at last you need not spend ages waiting for a BT…..just turn up when your appointment is due …similar to the the tip when disposing of rubbish…a few moan about it but at the beginning but when used to it it’s works well
What a surprise not at Cowes! To get an appointment for anything is almost impossible. And then there is the question of even being able to get to the hospital with the roadworks which are an absolute shambles
Access to the hospital is fine .I go through the roadworks twice a day with no problem.
I didn’t think Ryde Wellbeing Centre will be doing blood tests again from what I’ve heard.
So what is new? been having blood tests at Shanklin Medical Centre for years.
I went for blood test at st Mary’s a few weeks ago .all operating as normal .Just walk in .