Service available in:

From 1 April 2022, all children aged between 12 and 16 years old will have routine blood tests taken in the community by Mersey Care, instead of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

This service is accessible by appointment only, which will be arranged by your GP.

The following clinic locations and times are available:

  • South Liverpool Treatment Centre, 2pm to 5pm each Tuesday
  • Old Swan Walk-in Centre, 2pm to 5pm each Wednesday
  • Litherland Town Hall, 2pm to 5pm each Thursday

Please ensure your GP practice provides you with a request form that you will need to bring along to your clinic appointment. Either for yourself, or on behalf of your child.

Any urgent blood tests for any age, will still be dealt with by Alder Hey.

What happens to my child’s blood sample?

Once the samples have been sent to the laboratory, and tests have been completed, the results are checked by a trained scientist or doctor. Comments may also be added to the results to explain their meaning. The results will then be reported to the doctor who asked for the sample to be taken.

How long do the tests take?

This varies according to which tests have to be performed. Some tests are completed on the same day the sample is received or by the following day. More complicated tests may take up to a few weeks, especially if the sample has to be sent to a specialist laboratory in another part of the country, which adds to the time required.

How your child’s test results will be sent to you

The results of the tests will be sent to the doctor who requested the tests. This is usually the consultant (or GP) in charge of your child’s care. Your doctor will usually inform you of the results by letter, occasionally by telephone or at your child’s next clinic appointment. Should you telephone the doctor for the results, please be aware that your child’s results can only be given to you by a doctor involved in your child’s care.