Blood Tests
You can have your blood test done at Queen Mary’s, Queen Elizabeth, or Erith Hospital.
1) Queen Mary’s Hospital (Phlebotomy Department)
Monday to Friday 8am to 4.30 pm. No appointment necessary.
-Children under 16 years; Please contact the hospital on 020 8302 2678 ext.4320 before attending.
2) Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital
Monday to Friday 8am to 5:30pm. No appointment necessary.
-Children under 16 years; Please contact the hospital on 0208 836 5053 before attending.
3) Erith & District Hospital (Pathology Laboratory)
-By appointment only. Please contact the hospital on 01322 356186 to book.
It usually takes 5 working days for blood test results to come back and it is the patients responsibility to contact the surgery for the results.
A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:
- assess your general state of health
- confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
- see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning
A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.
You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.