Publish date: 8 October 2025
The ICB have provided some suggestions that may help phlebotomy teams to save time and support clinical decision making, whilst reducing re-bleeds to improve patient care. Please take the opportunity to also read through the supporting information and discuss in your safety huddles.
Bleed once
Before requesting blood tests, check if the patient is due another test and whether the tests can be combined. For example, will bloods soon be required for chronic disease or medication review?
Add on tests
Check before you re-bleed, can a test be added on to a recent sample? Call the labs customer care line on 0151 706 4230 to request (a gold top tube must originally have been requested). See chart below for when an add-on is possible. Stability time starts from date and time of sample collection from the patient.
Check ICE
If you know a patient has been in hospital/at clinic recently where bloods will have been done, results from secondary care will be visible on ICE. The transition from EMIS to ICE isn’t seamless, but in some scenarios viewing secondary care results on ICE may mean tests do not need to be repeated in clinical practice or in preparing for chronic disease reviews.
For further information see LCL – Add on blood tests and LCL – Vacuette tube guide.
For any other enquiries, please contact either jessica