Blood test provision in Sandy, Biggleswade and Potton

Image of blood tests

A recurring theme in Richard's inbox and also in Facebook comments is the question of phlebotomy services, especially in the east of the constituency in Sandy, Biggleswade, Potton and surrounding areas.

Richard Fuller MP said:

Although the local GP practices offer some blood tests 'in house', and have indeed increased this provision in the past year or so, the reality is that a large number of patients still have to make the trip to either Bedford or Stevenage for a blood test. This is not only inconvenient but can also be expensive and time-consuming.

It is also the case that, notwithstanding the issues of travel times and costs, the blood test service in Bedford isn't ideal for many people as they are unable to offer evening and weekend appointments that some patients would find more convenient.

When I asked about the feasibility of introducing some 'out of hours' blood tests which would be particularly helpful for those who work full-time, the response from the CEO of Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust is sobering and is as follows:

β€œπΌπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑠 π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘’π‘  π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘€π‘’π‘’π‘˜π‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘ .

πΆπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘™π‘¦ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘’π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘  Β£3 π‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘€π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘.  π΅π‘¦ π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘œπ‘“ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘£π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑑 (π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘€π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘ π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘Žπ‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘”π‘¦ 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔) 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘œπ‘“ Β£40.  π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘‡π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘β„Žπ‘™π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘¦ π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 π‘Ž π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘’π‘™π‘’π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘šπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘  π‘ π‘’π‘β„Ž π‘Žπ‘  π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘–π‘π‘’.  π»π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ, 𝐺𝑃𝑠 π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ 𝑏𝑦 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘–π‘π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π΅π‘’π‘‘π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘¦ 𝑓𝑒𝑀 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘’π‘  π‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘–π‘π‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 π‘Žπ‘£π‘Žπ‘–π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘œπ‘ π‘π‘–π‘‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘  π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘Žπ‘“π‘’π‘‘π‘¦ 𝑛𝑒𝑑 π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘–π‘π‘’.  πΌπ‘“ 𝑀𝑒 π‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘–π‘π‘’ π‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘€π‘’π‘’π‘˜π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘  𝑀𝑒 π‘€π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘“π‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘’π‘›β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘  π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘˜ π‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘β„Ž 𝑖𝑠 π‘‘π‘¦π‘π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘™π‘¦ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 35% π‘Žπ‘“π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ 8π‘π‘š π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 69% π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘€π‘’π‘’π‘˜π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘ . π‘‡β„Žπ‘–π‘  𝑖𝑠 π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘“π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘’ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘“π‘Žπ‘π‘‘ 𝑀𝑒 π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘’π‘–π‘£π‘’ Β£3 π‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘Žπ‘™π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π‘¦ 𝑏𝑒 π‘šπ‘Žπ‘˜π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Ž π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘  π‘œπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘–π‘π‘’.”

I believe that the answer is to explore the possibility of introducing a local solution through collaboration between the Integrated Care Board and all of the local GP practices.

To this end I have written to the key stakeholders concerned to set up a meeting to discuss potential options and see if a workable solution can be found.

I will keep you updated via my website, weekly email newsletter and my Facebook page.

You may also be interested in

Primary Care in Biggleswade and Sandy

Primary care provision, in particular, access to GP appointments, frequently comes up at Richard's constituency surgeries and features prominently in constituent correspondence he receives.