A new online booking system for blood tests in Newham is raising concerns that some people – particularly elderly and vulnerable groups – may be at risk of missing out on urgent health support.

More than 1,000 people need blood tests in Newham every day and since the start of the year a new online booking system has been introduced replacing the old walk-in service.

But many people find the online system difficult to use – particularly people aged over 60 and 70. People used to getting same-day tests by queueing up at a local clinic now have to wait days or even weeks for an appointment.

“I was shocked to find that the booking system online offered me a blood test almost three weeks away,” said one user at the Vicarage Lane Clinic in Stratford.

As Newham Voices went to press, all the online appointments available in Newham mean having a blood test and getting the result will take at least two weeks.

Doctors can still fast-track urgent appointments, but there are fears that people may miss out on important tests if they are discouraged from using the new system. The blood testing – or phlebotomy – service is vital to help doctors monitor the health of their patients.

But although the new system may be confusing some people, including older patients, no-one will be turned away if they show up without an appointment, says Michael McGhee, Director of Community Health Newham.

“There are teething problems, but these problems are getting less,” he told Newham Voices. He said a number of slots for people without appointments were always available and at each clinic in Newham there is a receptionist to help people adjust to the new system.

Managed by the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), the Newham phlebotomy service is based at four sites– the Appleby Health Centre in Canning Town, the Shrewsbury Road Health Centre in East Ham, The Centre in Manor Park, and Vicarage Lane in Stratford.

The drive to switch to paperless organisation of blood tests became more urgent during the Covid crisis which saw the blood test service struggling to cope as social-distancing measures forced patients to queue in the streets around the clinics.

In the past doctors would prepare a blood test form for patients to take to their local clinic, but now a new ‘Swiftqueue’ digital online booking system should in theory mean people spend less time in the waiting areas, and will lead to efficiency savings.

But not everyone is convinced. Staff at some of the clinics have themselves been under pressure from anxious and frustrated patients. “It’s been going for some time, but it doesn’t seem to be making things easier for us and we’ve even had to deal with abuse from some angry people,” said one staff member.

However, there will be no going back. “The paper based system is gone for good,” said Michael McGhee, “but we are aiming to ensure the new system will be as user-friendly as possible.”

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