My surgery want me to have a blood test. The information I was given says the Longridge Blood Clinic is open between 8.45 and 11.30am on a Weds. Today I turned up at 10am to find the clinic is full and to come back another day. This is the third time I have visited well within the published opening times to be turned away. Please move to a simple appointment system rather than this first come first served approach. Im fortunate I am retired and have a car, but there are others who have to make round trips on the bus, or have to take time off work. The current system is very unsatisfactory.

I attended the blood clinic on Monday 6/2/23 and was turned away, half an hour into the clinic time because there were too many people waiting. I attended again today, making sure to turn up early. I arrived at 8.30 for a clinic that started at 8.45 and took one of the last tickets. I believe there had been people waiting outside for an hour prior to the doors opening at 8.30. I was eventually seen after a wait of 2 and a half hours. The staff were excellent and the waiting area warm and clean, but unless one is prepared to give up a considerable amount of time it is impossible to get a blood test done in Longridge. I suffer from Long Covid and tire easily. My wait this morning has had a detrimental effect on my health. But I had no alternative but to sit and wait. During my wait a large number of other people came to the reception desk and were turned away and told to attend early for the next clinic two days later. For several of them, like myself, it was their second or third time of trying to get a test done. Previously there had been 2 nurses taking bloods. Now there is only one (and one very hassled receptionist). Clearly this situation is unacceptable.

Absolutely Ridiculous. Arrived 30 mins after blood test clinic started to be told, no more availability - it didn’t finish for another 2 hours. As they know how busy they are and this has obviously been going on for a long time why have they not sorted out this problem and got more nurses. Was told I could go to another clinic but as this is my local one, why should I? I doubt anyone of any importance will read, let alone react to this review.