Dear LPG,

I am just wondering if anyone else has found themselves with a problem like mine, because I have found one possible solution that might help if you live locally.

It was beginning to get difficult for me to get out and about before all the Covid-19 restrictions stopped us leaving home.  As we get older our health gets more and more difficult to manage and we need to go to the doctor more often, but I have to say that I am not altogether disenchanted with the ‘telephone your doctor first’ system of things.  We all got used to waiting a bit for that return telephone call, but I can understand why our GPs only want you to attend the surgery if it is really necessary. Let’s face it, with the risk of the virus everywhere, we only really want to be there if it really is necessary.

I live at home on my own and during more normal times one of my children would always be there to ferry me back and forth both to the doctor and for any blood tests I might need, but we have all learned to be a bit more reluctant to get close to each other lately.  I was told I needed a blood test and, having learned that my local centre only work by appointment now I telephoned quite a few times and spent quite a lot of time listening to the ring tone.  I got back to my GP surgery but they said that they could not really help because they are separate organisations, and they were having their own problems contacting them.  

This was my first time using an organisation called ‘Blood Collection Mobile London’ and I will definitely use their service in future.  Did you know that the people who take your blood for testing are called Phlebotomists? I made an appointment and the next day my Phlebotomist arrived on time to perform the blood test.  She was extremely friendly, polite, gentle and very professional. I hardly felt the needle going into my arm and, before I knew it, she had finished taking my blood.  

I highly recommend this service for anyone who is not able to attend a blood test outside their home and who has been waiting a long time to get an appointment, it is also really convenient for those who find it hard to sit in a waiting room for hours.

It cost me £25.00, but how much you pay might be a bit more depending on where you are and where the sample needs to be delivered to.  I know they cover Lewisham, Dulwich and some of the surrounding areas. 

Their telephone number is 0208 720 9282 and it is a 24-hour service.

I am really glad that I found them.

YM, Lee

LPG found some more information about this organisation…

(►►►)