I WOULD like to respond to the recent letter “Where are the phlebotomists?” (Mailbox, July 12).

The phlebotomy service was developed to reduce the number of missed appointments and give people greater flexibility in choosing when to have their blood test.

People can now drop-in, and have their blood tests done on whichever week day they choose, at any of the four hubs.

Following feedback from patients a number of bookable appointments are now available at West Kirby Health Centre.

Overall we’ve had great feedback about the new service and are now able to see an additional 1,000 patients a week.

In January this year we saw more than 17,000 patients who needed blood tests and since then numbers have increased.

In May we carried out 19,000 tests and in June numbers were close to 20,000.

Waiting times do vary throughout the day, and due to the increase in referrals it can currently be up to one hour or more. We have accurate data on waiting times and ensure our staffing levels are maintained to see as many people as we can during the day.

Analysis of our waiting times for week commencing July 3 showed that 80% of those attending across all our clinics were seen in less than an hour. Of those, nearly half were seen in less than 30 minutes. We are in regular discussion with our commissioners on how the service can improve and all feedback is welcome.

Our phlebotomy team is absolutely committed to providing a service that delivers an excellent and personal service to Wirral residents.

David Hammond, Interim director, development and strategy, Wirral Community NHS Foundation Trust.