Patients worried over blood test service closure

Val Bennallick has multiple sclerosis and haemochromatosis and needs regular blood tests

Patients with long-term health conditions in part of north Devon have said they face round-trips of more than 60 miles for some blood tests after a medical group announced it would no longer provide them.

Ruby Country Medical Group has announced it will no longer offer blood tests requested by hospitals at its Holsworthy and Hatherleigh surgeries from 1 April due to funding issues.

NHS Devon said plans are being put in place to ensure secondary care requested blood tests will continue to be provided to patients.

Val Bennallick, 62, of Hatherleigh requires regular blood tests due to having multiple sclerosis (MS) and haemochromatosis and said the decision had given her sleepless nights.

She said: "I have not slept properly since 17 February when I found out about this and all my symptoms are being exacerbated by the stress I am under.

"The difference is going to my local surgery which is less than a mile away or going to the Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) which is a 78 mile (126km) round trip for a 30 second blood test."

Michelle VonAhn has neuroendocrine cancer and requires a monthly blood test

Michelle VonAhn, 68, from Holsworthy has neuroendocrine cancer, and requires a monthly blood test before receiving ongoing treatment at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple.

She said this decision could result in her having to make a 60 mile (96km) round trip to get a blood test.

"I think it's unreasonable to expect people living in a rural environment like this to travel so far for something which is such a basic diagnostic technique.

"There needs to be a local solution."

Ruby Country Medical Group has announced it will no longer offer blood tests that are requested by hospitals at its Holsworthy and Hatherleigh surgeries

A spokesperson for NHS Devon said: "NHS Devon continues to work closely with the Royal Devon who have this week described to us the plans they are putting in place to ensure they can provide secondary care requested blood tests (that are currently provided by Ruby Country Medical Group) from April 1, 2025.

"We will continue to support them to ensure this is achieved and Royal Devon will provide further updates and information to Ruby Country Medical Group and patients regarding access and location of services as soon as it becomes available."

Dr Rachel Ali is chair of the Devon Local Medical Committee

Dr Rachel Ali, chair of the Devon Local Medical Committee, said about a quarter of GP practices in Devon have decided to stop offering blood tests requested by hospitals.

She said: "We've been offered a little bit of money towards the costs of running this service but it doesn't cover the costs.

"It means practices are having to pay out of their baseline in order to do blood tests for the hospital that the hospitals are already paid to do.

"Because they are having to do that, they are going to have to stop doing other things and practices do not want to stop offering their patients important general practice services."

She said hubs have been set up in areas including Plymouth, South Devon and Torbay to carry out this service.