Home News Connolly patients angry over blood test changes

Connolly patients angry over blood test changes

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

PATIENTS of Blanchardstown’s Connolly Hospital are angry over a newly introduced system for booking blood tests. Some say they are finding it increasingly difficult to make contact with the clinic, which deals with GP blood tests. Corduff local Jean Eccles is one of many Northsiders who has had trouble getting through to the clinic, which operates from 10am to 12pm daily. “My doctor told me to book a blood test so I called and called but there was no answer,” she told Northside People. “The hospital used to just have a walk-in clinic for two hours each morning but that recently changed to the phone booking system. “I eventually figured out that I was in with a greater chance of my call getting answered if I phoned the clinic a minute or two before 10am or just before they finished at 12pm. “When I finally managed to get through I was given an appointment for 10 days’ time. “I couldn’t believe it would take that long so I called another hospital and got the test booked and carried out within two days.” Ms Eccles explained how her blood test came back “abnormal” and the results are being investigated, something which would not have occurred for another two weeks if she had waited for her appointment in Connolly Hospital. “These blood tests are very important and it’s obviously much better for patients and doctors to know as soon as possible if there are any abnormalities,” she said. But that wasn’t the end of the trouble and frustration for Ms Eccles. “Things got even more ridiculous when I tried to call back to cancel the appointment I had previously made with Connolly Hospital,” she stated. “I didn’t want that slot to be wasted on me when I wasn’t going to show up. No doubt someone else could have done with that appointment. “I spent at least two days trying to get through. “I was at home doing very little so I spent a few hours calling the clinic continuously. I even got my daughter to take over when I had to pop out of the house for a short while. “I ended up calling the main hospital number to ask if they could pass on the message to the clinic that I was cancelling my appointment but they told me that they couldn’t do that.” Ms Eccles said she has met many other patients who have similar difficulties with trying to get through to the clinic. “The phone is engaged continuously; you’d nearly think that the phone was off the hook deliberately because they don’t have enough staff in the clinic to deal with the demand,” she said. “I’m not the only one who has come to that conclusion either. “You’d wonder whether this is another stupid cost saving method on the part of the HSE that the hospital doesn’t have the staff to even answer the phone.” A spokesperson for Connolly Hospital confirmed that the GP blood testing system had changed. “Heretofore we had a walk in clinic that was becoming a risk due to the high number of patients attending on a daily basis,” she told Northside People. “Within current resources we have implemented a booking system to manage the numbers attending the clinic. “Currently we look after 40 patients per day in this clinic and all patients are given an appointment within 10 days. “We appreciate that there have been a number of difficulties for patients in accessing the phone line in order to make an appointment.” The spokesperson added: “We are currently trying to secure additional resources to increase the time that the appointment phone line is available.”