 |
 |
In message <[log in to unmask]>, Chris Royle <[log in to unmask]> writes > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Chris Royle [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: 19 May 1998 15:18 >To: 'acb mailbase' >Subject: Phlebotomy and phlebotomists > >I'm sure that few would disagree that if we don't get the right sample, of good >quality, at the right time, from the right patient, then all our fancy >analytical machines and techniques might as well be consigned to the dustbin. We >all tend to take phlebotomy for granted, only stopping to think about it when >the wrong sample has been taken for GHb or the samples have not been labelled >correctly. >Ironic then, that the people who perform phlebotomy are often paid the least, >work in difficult conditions, often with difficult people (and I'm not only >talking about patients!!) in less than ideal surroundings, performing a task >which is much undervalued. >I am trying to gather information on phlebotomy and phlebotomists, e.g. >Who manages phlebotomy? The "lab.", Haematology, Patient services, "OPD", >Nursing or someone else? >What salary scales are phlebotomists paid on, e.g. MLA, Trainee BMS, A and C or >ad hoc scales? >From what backgrounds are phlebotomists recruited from and what formal >qualifications (if any) are specified. >Training and education. Who does this and how is competence assessed? >Are there any National guidelines? >There is lots of info. on the Internet re. phlebotomy training in the USA. Is >there anything here in the UK? > Any info., ideas, suggestions, experiences would be welcomed. > >Thanks, >Chris Royle >Lab. Manager, Clinical Biochemistry / Haematology Department. Like many lab. services, haematology used to look after our phlebotomists. By and large there were too few of them and they worked odd combinations of hours to suit individuals rather than the needs of clinics and wards. A few years ago, I used the cash released by an MLSO on maternity leave (with matching funds form the Trust) to double the number and run a Saturday morning service for heavy users - on short term contracts. This did what I expected - gave the labs a far better service and pleased the junior doctors no end so when our MLSO came back (or at least when I wanted my money back) the clinical users demanded that the service be continued. Fortunately that coincided with the new deal and so we got funds for phlebotomy which far outweighed what I could drum up. In order to appropriately manage what was seen as a service for junior doctors, the service management was passed to the clinical teams. As a result, and also as a consequence of the introduction of multi-skilled support workers who have some phlebotomy duties, the Trust had a huge training task. The education and training department have gone into this in a big way and training is heavily structured with appropriate competencies identified. Please contact the Department directly for information. However, things have moved on - the support workers are becoming more and more important on the wards as junior doctors become a vanishing species and phlebotomist posts have been turned into support workers - often employing the same people. Now, however, phlebotomy is no longer their priority and we have seen a deterioration in the delivery of samples to the lab. in a timely fashion, especially on Saturday mornings. Furthermore the pool of staff available to cover clinics where we need straight phlebotomists is now smaller and there is a problem with annual and sick leave cover once again so a further initiative from pathology may even be required ! -- Trevor Gray Northern General Hospital Sheffield 0114 271 4309 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%