Phlebotomy (Blood test)

For

• All routine, non-urgent patients, over the age of 16 from GPs or the hospital. This is a booked appointment service.  

• Hospital patients and GP Patients with urgent or same day requests - no booking required but we cannot guarantee the wait time.

 

Opening times:

• Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm

• Closed on weekends and Bank Holidays

 

How to get your blood test:

Booking your blood test:

• GP patients, and hospital patients requiring routine, non-urgent blood tests must book an appointment online. Your GP will not have booked the appointment for you to have your blood tests taken, only requested the samples required and the tests they would like performed.

• To book your appointment we use a booking system called Swiftqueue.

• You can choose a date and time that suits up to 16 weeks in advance. 

• Once your appointment has been successfully booked you will receive confirmation of your appointment and reminders by text message and/or email. If you do not receive this confirmation your appointment has not been booked. 

• Please take care to ensure that you are booking an appointment at Windsor House.

Book an adult blood test 

If you are unable to access the Swift Queue system, please contact 01752 433040 where staff will be able to help with appointment scheduling or system access issues. Please note that this phone line is only available Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm. Calls made outside of these hours cannot be answered. The phone line can be busy and your patience is appreciated; your call will be answered as soon as someone is available to take your call. 

Arriving at Windsor house:

There is no need to report to reception on arrival at Windsor House. On arrival, please follow the signs to the phlebotomy suite on the ground floor (On the left as you enter the main doors to the building)  

• Book in at the kiosk by entering the first letter of your surname and confirming your date of birth. Once the kiosk has confirmed your arrival has been recorded, please take a seat in the waiting room.

• You will be called by name when it is your appointment time.

• Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before your booked appointment time.

Urgent and same-day patients without a booking 

Urgent and same-day patients without a booking need to follow the signs to the phlebotomy suite and take a ticket from the table next to the electronic kiosk.

You will be called by number when it is your turn. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the wait time.  

 

Getting here

Windsor House, Tavistock Road, Derriford, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5UF

• There is allocated parking for visitors at the front of the building.

• Parking for all patients attending the Phlebotomy service is free for the duration of your appointment. There is no longer the requirement for you to enter your car registration number on arrival.  

View Google map of Windsor House, Tavistock Road

 

 

For

• Hospital patients with urgent or same day requests - no booking required but we cannot guarantee the wait time. Protected time Monday to Friday 8am to 11am.

• Any patients that require a specialist test. 

 

Opening times:

• Monday to Thursday, 8am to 5pm.

• Friday, 8am to 4:30pm.

• Closed on Bank Holidays

 

How to get your blood test

The service in Derriford, Zone B, Level 3 is for urgent and same-day UHP/hospital patients only. You cannot make a booking for this location. All bookable appointments for the Derriford site will be at the Dartmoor Building. View the Derriford Hospital Level 3 floor map

Arriving at Level 3, Derriford Hospital:

• If you have been referred by a consultant or clinic at University Hospitals Plymouth and need an urgent blood test, you do not need to book.

• From the main hospital lobby, take the main bank of lifts to Level 3. The location for the Phlebotomy Service is signposted from the lift exit.

• The service is inside the Research Vaccine Trials space (previously the old REI/Pre-Op). The service is at the back and down the corridor on the left-hand side.

• Take a ticket from the wall mounted dispenser at the entrance to the phlebotomy corridor and take a seat outside the phlebotomy room. When the waiting area is full, the phlebotomy team will remove the tickets.

• You will be called in when it is your turn.

• We cannot guarantee you will be seen after 4pm if there is a large queue. 

 

Getting here

Derriford Hospital, Level 3, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH. View the Derriford Hospital Level 3 floor map

• There is space to drop-off patients outside Level 3. Follow signs for Oncology SDEC.

• There is also a mobility bus from the main entrance that will take patients to the Level 3 drop off area. Find out more on our public transport and car parking page

 

 

For

• Patients attending appointments within Dartmoor Building.

• UHP hospital patients from other clinics that have booked an appointment to have bloods done within Derriford

 

Opening times:

• Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

• Closed on weekends and Bank Holidays.

 

How to get your blood test

Referred by your Outpatient clinic practitioner within Dartmoor Building

If you have been referred by a consultant or clinic as part of your outpatient’s appointment within Dartmoor Building, you do not need to book.

• Go to Waiting Area B on Level 1 and take a ticket from the stand.

• You will be called in when it is your turn. Please note that we cannot guarantee the wait time or patients arriving after 4pm will be able to be seen, if there is a large queue.

Referred by your hospital specialist for a non-urgent blood test

If you have been referred by your hospital specialist for a non-urgent blood test, you must book an appointment by using the Swiftqueue booking system.

Booking your blood test

• We use a booking system called Swiftqueue.

• You can choose a date and time that suits up to 16 weeks. You will receive confirmation of your appointment and reminders will be sent by email or text.

• Once your appointment has been successfully booked you will receive confirmation of your appointment and reminders by text message and/or email. If you do not receive this confirmation your appointment has not been booked. 

• Please take care to ensure that you are booking an appointment at the Dartmoor Building. 

Book an adult blood test

If you are unable to access the Swift Queue system, please contact 01752 433040 who will be able to help with appointment scheduling or system access issues. Please note that this phone line is only available Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Calls made outside of these hours cannot be answered. The phone line can be busy and your patience is appreciated; your call will be answered as soon as someone is available to take your call. 

 

Getting here

Outpatients, Level 1, Dartmoor Building, Derriford Hospital, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8BQ. View the Derriford Hospital site map

A mobility bus from the main entrance can take patients to the Dartmoor Building as required. Find out more on our public transport and car parking page

 

To create an NHS login you’ll need:

• A smartphone or tablet with internet access

• An email address you can access

• Your NHS number (if you have it) or details such as your full name, date of birth and postcode

• A form of photo ID (passport, UK or EU driving licence, or UK biometric residence permit) for identity verification

Download the NHS App

• Go to the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play Store (Android).

• Search for “NHS App” and install it.

Open the App and Start Sign-Up

• Tap “Continue with NHS login.”

• Select “Create an account.”

Enter Your Details

• Provide your email address and create a password.

• You’ll receive a security code by email—enter it in the app to confirm your email.

• Add your mobile number; you’ll get a text code to verify.

Prove Your Identity

• When prompted, choose “Verify your identity online.”

• Follow the on-screen instructions to:

1. Take a photo of your chosen ID document (UK passport, UK photocard driving licence (full or provisional), UK biometric residence permit (BRP)).

2. Record a short video of yourself reading the provided phrase (this checks you match the photo ID).

Link Your NHS Record

Enter your NHS number (if known) or your name, date of birth and postcode so the system can match your GP record.

Complete Setup

• Once verified, you’ll receive confirmation—this can take a few hours.

• Sign back in with your email and password.

• Set up the app’s security (Face ID, Touch ID, or a 6-digit passcode).

If you don’t have photo ID, the app offers an alternative route: you can request a linkage key from your GP practice to finish sign-up. 

Keep your email and password safe; you’ll need them whenever you log in.

You can also create an NHS login via a web browser at NHS App  and then use the same credentials in the app.

Phlebotomists are part of the Assistant Technical Officer (ATO) group of staff based within the Combined Laboratory. The phlebotomy team provides a venepuncture service to both inpatients and outpatients.

For safe-sample labelling requirements and procedure please refer to the Trust document ‘Hospital Transfusion Policy’ [TRW.HGV.POL.269], Blood Sampling, section 7.

 

Where do I send my patient for their blood test? 

Derriford Hospital Phlebotomy Service, Zone B, Level 3, Derriford Road, Plymouth

• This is the best location for patients requiring blood tests who have procedures or appointments booked on the same day or patients who require results to immediately inform treatment decisions. Please state if applicable and staff will send bloods immediately to the laboratory.

• Unless stated as urgent, samples are collected from the clinic at 11am, 2pm, 4pm and at the end of the day.

• Requests for specialist tests must also be done at this location (i.e. the samples must be kept on ice, in the dark, processed within 15 min).

Dartmoor Building Phlebotomy Service, Level 1, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth

• This is the location for patients with appointments within Dartmoor Building.

• Hospital Patients who are under the care of UHP clinicians may also book an appointment to attend the Dartmoor Building for routine (non-urgent or specialist) tests.

• GP patients should not book appointments at the Dartmoor building.

• Unless stated as urgent, samples are collected from the clinic at 2pm, 4pm and at the end of the day.

Windsor House, Tavistock Road, Plymouth

• GP patients with booked appointments only

• UHP and GP patients with URGENT blood test requests

• Not suitable for patients with procedures the same day, or for specialist tests, please use the Derriford Hospital Phlebotomy Service in Zone B, Level 3.

• All samples are collected from the clinic and sent to the laboratory with the courier service collections (Twice daily)

 

Urgent test pathway for Hospital referred and GP patients

Is the patients test results needed to inform clinical decision making or treatment with in the next 5-7 days?

Yes

• Book required blood tests on iCE/iCM or complete paper request form - ensure marked urgent

• Inform patient that they need to attend the urgent blood test facility at either Windsor House or level 3 Derriford Hospital Phlebotomy clinic

• Patient can attend urgent drop in session at Windsor House or UHP level 3

No

• Book required blood tests on iCE/iCM or complete paper request form - select Routine

• Instruct patient to book blood test appointment using SWIFTQUEUE booking system or call 01752 433040 to book and appointment

Please note;

patients who attend without test requests being marked as urgent will not be processed through the urgent clinic and referred through to book a routine appointment. Please only use the urgent clinic appropriately.

The Phlebotomy team are unable to see patients under the age of 16. For patients under the age of 16 please contact:

The Children & Young Peoples Outpatients Department

Level 12

Derriford Hospital

01752 245126 or 01752 430927