A state of the art £500,000 phlebotomy department has been opened in St Helier Hospital in Sutton.
The unit, which sees 450 patients a day, has been relocated and refurbished, providing it with a much needed upgrade.
The process of booking a blood test has also been streamlined with the introduction of Swiftqueue, an online booking system, which has greatly reduced waiting times.
Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles helped to declare the new department officially open at a small ribbon cutting ceremony.
He said: “Blood tests are part and parcel of modern health care – they are routine for many of our patients and because of that, their importance might sometimes be taken for granted, but the fact is that blood tests build the foundation of our patients’ care.
“They can evaluate how well essential organs are working, can help our staff to quickly diagnose certain diseases and conditions such as cancer, HIV, diabetes and anaemia, and can be used to determine whether a patient has risk factors for heart disease.
“I am delighted to see the new unit open and serving patients.”
Helen Johnstone, Interim Clinical Director for Pathology, Clinical Services and Therapies, added: “The new department has given us a much needed refresh and upgrade from our old facilities.
“It’s much bigger than our previous facility, with an extra testing bay, taking us to a total of seven, a large reception and waiting area and a staff room that the team are really pleased with! It also has some modern touches, such as air cooling to help keep our patients and staff comfortable.
“We have had great feedback from the patients we have seen so far. Visitors have praised the new look of the department and have been comforted by the fact they are visiting a state-of-the-art facility.
“Patients have found Swiftqueue easy to use and it has greatly decreased waiting times in comparison to walk-in clinics.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in making this happen – from our brilliant Estates Team to our dedicated phlebotomists who stayed after hours on the evening of the move to ensure it was a success.
“With such an amazing team, the future for St Helier’s Phlebotomy Department is bright.”
To find out more about the phlebotomy department, visit St Helier’s website or to book a blood test, visit the Swiftqueue website.
