Phlebotomy hub closures 'will put more pressure on the health service'

THE Western Trust is being urged to reverse a decision to close a specialist service for taking blood samples from patients.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, blood tests for hospital outpatients were completed at local GP surgeries.

The Western Trust then established two phlebotomy testing hubs at its Gransha site and Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex, meaning many patients from the town and surrounding district had to travel to avail of the service.

The spaces dedicated to the withdrawing of blood were set-up to help reduce footfall and stop hospitals from becoming overwhelmed at the height of the pandemic.

With funding now ended, the hubs are to close with services returning to their pre-Covid working arrangements, the Western Trust has confirmed, meaning that blood withdrawal services that took place at the hubs will now return to hospitals and GP surgeries.

The British Medical Association's chair in Northern Ireland, Dr Tom Black, has said this move has the potential to overwhelm GP surgeries at a time when they are already struggling with increased workloads.

"We are very concerned that if the hub goes this means that we could have even more traffic coming through our treatment room," he told the BBC.

"To be frank, it is already full and we couldn't cope with more work - so there are real concerns in general practice about this."

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP., Órfhlaith Begley, has also expressed concern that the closure of the hubs will put more pressure on the health service.

“Phlebotomy hubs in Omagh and Derry that were set up during Covid-19 for withdrawing blood have been vital within our health system and helped alleviate the pressure on hospitals and GPs," she said.

"This cut in funding will put even more pressure on the health service and increase waiting lists at a time when it is already in crisis and staff burnt out from working long hours.

“I have written to the Department of Health to raise my concern over the impact this will have on patients."

She added: "One party’s continued blockade of the Assembly has only helped to deepen the crisis in our health service.

"They should get back to work with the rest of us in the Executive to fix the health service now.”

A spokesperson for the Western Trust said: “The Western Trust was allocated funding to provide Phlebotomy Hubs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two hubs were set up, the first was established in Gransha Park, Londonderry, in July 2020 and the second in Omagh, in February 2021.

“The Trust continued with these hubs after the pandemic as it rebuilt and restored services to pre-pandemic levels.

"As services returned to normal and to support the rebuild of outpatients the hubs continued to deliver services for patients requiring blood samples in a timely manner to ensure continuity of treatment and for monitoring of conditions and treatments.

“The hubs reduced footfall across the acute hospital sites and resulted in patients not having to attend the hospital unnecessarily.

“COVID funding has now ended and the Trust is no longer able to provide the phlebotomy services at the hub locations."

The spokesperson said the change commenced at the end of July with both hubs ceasing to operate.

“Specifically, this means that all patients requiring these specific bloods will return to their pre-COVID pathway," the spokesperson said, adding that the Trust is working to reset to the phlebotomy regime that operated prior to the global coronavirus pandemic.

"All services are now working with relevant colleagues (including community colleagues) to ensure a streamlined transfer of patients back to their pre-COVID pathways," she concluded.