Blood testing service to close; underutilisation, staff shortages
ARROWTOWN residents are lamenting the loss of a weekly blood testing service run out of Arrowtown Medical Centre.
While contracting service Southern Community Laboratories (SCL) cited staffing shortages and underutilisation as reasons for ending the service, ArrowtownKawarau ward council candidate Lisa Guy said a lack of awareness may have contributed to the latter.
‘‘Consensus is, if more people knew the service was there, they would have been using it.
‘‘They hadn’t realised that it had ceased and, in many instances, didn’t know it was there at all.’’
Due to finish on September 1, there were concerns around accessibility for some of the community, particularly given the retirement villages in the area, Ms Guy said.
The next closest location for blood testing is Frankton, where patients may have to contend with traffic congestion and a busier clinic.
Crown Range resident Colleen Flemmer, whose chronically ill son uses the service fortnightly, said she only found out the service was ending last week when she was at the clinic and was informed by a staff member.
While she would still be able to make travelling to Frankton work, she was concerned for elderly residents, or those who did not have access to a vehicle and needed to rely on public transport, she said.
‘‘I think that’s where it becomes really quite inconvenient.’’
She hoped in time the service could return to Arrowtown — and be better publicised.
In their response to Ms Guy, SCL said the move would allow them to better utilise staff at busier clinics — Frankton’s Gray St and Queenstown’s Isle St.
There was also a home visit service clinicians could request, if the patient met the criteria.
The decision was backed by the clinical operations advisory group, made up of Te Whatu Ora Southern staff, laboratory staff and consumer reps, a spokesman said.
SCL could not respond by deadline.
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