Our on-site team of phlebotomists take blood samples at the request of a doctor or nurse. You can also drop off other specimens that have been organised by you doctor, such as urine samples. These samples are diagnostic tools, providing more information to your healthcare professional.

All patients of The Hastings Health Centre are welcome to use this service.  All services for patients enrolled at the Hastings Health centre are free.

Samples are collected quickly, with care and empathy.  Our phlebotomists are also very skilled at dealing with children.

Frequently asked questions

Will it hurt?
You will experience some discomfort but it is over quickly.  Some patients may also experience bruising, this is normal.

How long will it take for my results to come back and who gets these?
The length of time for results to come back varies depending on the type of test and the urgency with which the doctor requests the test results.  The results normally go to the doctor who has requested the test and copies may go to other health professionals, e.g. hospital consultants or your usual GP if this is not who requested it. Feel free to discuss this with the doctor or nurse

Why are multiple blood samples sometimes collected?
Although you will only be “bled” once, the person doing this may draw off multiple tubes.  This is because different tests require the blood to kept under different conditions - sometimes clotted, and sometimes not. Other times, different chemicals are added to ensure the blood doesn't deteriorate in the time it takes to reach the lab.

Hours
The lab is open every week day from 8am – 5pm.   In some cases, mostly out of hours, your doctor or nurse may take the sample themselves.