Western Health is cancelling routine blood work appointments this week due to a shortage of staff.
The disruption affects all appointments scheduled from today until Wednesday, January 5th at the Western Health Clinic on Herald Avenue in Corner Brook.
Urgent lab services will go ahead, including appointments for INRs (international normalized ratios), transplant blood work or chemotherapy blood work. Those patients should go to their appointment at the scheduled time, though officials warn there may be increased wait times.
Western Health is advising of a temporary change to outpatient laboratory services (i.e., blood collection) in the Western Health region Dec 29 -Jan 5. All appointments for routine bloodwork scheduled at all locations have been cancelled.
Read more here: https://t.co/hSXboqNYwR— Western Health NL (@WesternHealthNL) December 28, 2021
They say the changes and cancellations are necessary due to increased staffing demands, including for testing. As well, there are a number of staff impacted by exposure notifications, or who have symptoms and require isolation.
Patients will be called to reschedule appointments early in the new year.
Those who have not received a call to rebook their appointment by January 17th should contact the bookings line at 1-833-459-0873.
Patients are asked not to call the regional telephone bookings line to book or reschedule routine appointments from this week.