Children's Phlebotomy Service

Our Children and Young Persons Community Phlebotomy Service provides a phlebotomy (blood sample taking) provision to all 0 to 16 year olds registered with a GP within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), or under-18 if under the Community Paediatric service, SEND, a Looked After Child (LAC), or a CAMHS patient.

It is committed to deliver a high quality phlebotomy service for children who require routine, urgent and fasting bloods.

It offers specific appointment times, to provide choice to service users, to minimise waiting times and allow a managed time to support preparation associated with testing, for example the application of anaesthetic spray.

The service is provided from modern healthcare accommodation so individuals with a wide range of physical and emotional needs will be accommodated. The team consists of a range of roles including experienced phlebotomists, a play specialist support worker who is an integral part in the preparation and distraction for the procedure and a small administrative team that manages referrals and books appointments appropriate to the needs of the child and family.

Referral criteria

The Children’s Phlebotomy Service accept referrals for Paediatric patients aged 0-16 years who are registered with a GP in Leicester City, Leicestershire, or Rutland, or under-18 if under the Community Paediatric service, SEND, a Looked After Child (LAC), or a CAMHS patient.

Paediatric phlebotomy clinics are held across three sites within a three mile radius of  Leicester City. Clinics are run Monday to Friday. The service offers blood samples for routine, urgent and fasting bloods.

As a professional referring a patient into the service please ensure that you have informed the patient/parent of the following,

  • The type of test required – Routine, Urgent, Fasting.
  • To take the blood forms to the appointment
  • To ring the 0300 number to make an appointment
  • The person with PR for the child must attend the appointment (unless it is a LAC child), if not they must be available over the phone to give consent
  • To request an interpreter when making the appointment if there is any language barrier
  • How and when to administer the anaesthetic cream if this has been prescribed.

The service will offer Ethyl chloride spray to all children over the age of three years.

Please ensure that if you are referring a child for a blood test, you make it clear to the parent or carer that they must bring the blood test form to the appointment. Failure to attend with this form will result in the patient being turned away and asked to re-book. We do emphasise the importance of this in the confirmation letter, and also routinely send two text messages in advance of the appointment to remind families of the need to bring the blood test form. However, we would be very grateful for the support of GPs in reiterating this message during the face-to-face contact.

Criteria exclusion

Urgent bloods that are required on the day of referral need to be directed to the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

How to access this service

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s Children’s Phlebotomy Service is available to all 0-16 year olds registered with a GP across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland or under-18 if under the Community Paediatric service, SEND, a Looked After Child (LAC), or a CAMHS patient who require routine, urgent or fasting blood tests.

We offer appointments within five working days for priority referrals, and within ten days for routine blood tests. All urgent blood test referrals should be sent to the Children’s Hospital at University Hospitals of Leicester. The children’s phlebotomy service offers specific appointment times in order to provide patient choice and to minimise waiting times.

 

What conditions do you cover

The conditions are dictated by the request of the doctor.

Contact info

0300 3000 007

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