Administrators at England's Worthing Hospital confirmed the new policy of refusing blood tests during weekends if doctors have not written "please" on the form, The Sun reported Tuesday.
The managers said the move is aimed at easing pressure on hospital workers charged with performing blood tests by making doctors consider whether the tests are essential.
However, a doctor at the hospital said on condition of anonymity that he sees the policy as a money-saving measure that could prove dangerous for patients.
"I was shocked to come in on Sunday and find none of my bloods had been done from the night before because I'd not written 'please,'" the doctor said. "I had no results to guide treatment of patients. Myself and a senior nurse had to take the bloods ourselves, which added hours to our 12-hour shifts. This system puts patients' lives at risk. Doctors are wasting time doing the job of the technicians."
Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI)
The story in the Sun is not
The story in the Sun is not true. It originated from a misinterpretation of a guideline that has been in place at Worthing for the last 15 years.
Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust has asked for blood test request forms to be identified with these words for around 15 years. The advice was issued to remind staff of the need to distinguish between those tests that require processing on a Saturday, versus those that can wait until Monday. It is not a new requirement, and distinguishing the urgency of a test on blood forms is common practice in most hospitals, either in written form or via a ‘sticker’.
So long as the word “Saturday” is indicated in the request, the test will be completed; the inclusion of the word “please” is not an essential requirement. No cases have been identified where a blood test has not been carried out because the doctor has not written 'please' on the request form.
Western Sussex Hospitals
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