"Southend-on-Sea Hospital Blood Clinic"

Having had to have had blood taken 2 times in the last 3 weeks, I find that the clinic has moved from the front of the Hosp' due to a new coffee shop and shop now in that area. It is now in OPD3 (no real name such as blood, and or clinic) just OPD3.

The OPD3 is in fact a home for the clinic until the new one has been built. The issues are that now you are told to have an appointment time, and not just a “walk in" clinic. This fails to work when you are sent from another clinic for a blood test, as you just have to go to the clinic. This means on the 2 times I went, that some 60 people where in front of me on the ticket number, and no space to sit down and wait. I was forced into the main hosp corridor, with no chairs to sit on. Just waiting, for over 1.5 hours in a corridor.

The machine that shows your ticket number is inside the very small clinic area, so you have to keep making your way from the corridor into the clinic area to find how many folk are in front of you. I did complain to the PALS service after the 2nd visit, but I felt they showed little interest in trying to improve the situation (but then again PALS is funded via the Hosp', so this is not a free standing system as was the days of the Community Health Council).

I now have to go back for 2 more blood tests as urgent - but cannot find any links on the hosp web site for the number of the clinic to book an appointment. I think this shows a lack of for the services service users.