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You work at Hull Royal Infirmary, taking blood from inpatients on the wards and ensuring their safe delivery to the laboratory for testing.
Your first task is to take blood from an elderly patient with diabetes who isn’t recovering well from a hip replacement. After correctly identifying the man and seeking his consent, you explain what’s going to happen, decide on the best area to take the sample and the most suitable equipment to use. In this case the veins in his arm are fine so you clean the area and insert a needle.
After the sample has been collected, you label it correcting and arrange for its delivery to the lab for processing. You enjoy being a vital part of a life-saving medical team, meeting different people every day.
You like meeting people and working as part of a team. You can put people at ease, and are responsible and reliable. You’re also very careful and methodical, and enjoy following rules and procedures.
Although there are no specific entry requirements, a range of GCSEs (or equivalent qualifications) would be an advantage, but you will receive training on-the-job.
A-Levels (or the equivalent) are not required but could improve your chances of securing a position as a trainee phlebotomist. After either GCSEs or A-Levels, you’d need to apply for a position as a trainee phlebotomist and you’d be trained on-the-job. Sometimes, staff working as health care support workers or in assistant/support roles in pathology laboratories are given phlebotomy training while they’re working.
Occasionally there are apprenticeships for trainee phlebotomists and healthcare science assistants. For apprenticeship and trainee vacancies, visit NHS Jobs and Gov.uk Apprenticeships.
We'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to talk to us about apprenticeships and traineeships, email hyp-tr.apprentices@nhs.net
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An interactive resource to help you find your career with us in the local NHS.
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