Hour-long waits for tests at pathology services in Tauranga are 'nothing unusual” because of significant staff shortages.
The Greerton, Mount Maunganui and Ōtūmoetai Pathlab clinics have closed, and the Te Puke and Katikati sites have reduced hours because of the shortages.
Paula Bilbe has needed weekly blood tests since June last year and says the delays have increased during that time.
'It's nothing unusual to wait up to 1 hour 20 mins for a test that takes less than 10 minutes,” says Paula.
She lives two minutes away from the Ōtūmoetai clinic that closed in November 2021, which was 'much easier” to fit into her busy schedule.
'It's not ok; for a city the size of Tauranga, we need more locations. It's time to staff the Ōtūmoetai and Greerton branches again.”
For a Te Puke resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, it wasn't just time but the cost of travelling to Pāpāmoa for tests because the Te Puke clinic is only open Tuesdays and Thursdays.
She needed tests two to three times a week for most of last year.
'I live on a Supported Living benefit due to physical disabilities and the extra petrol costs to travel further for blood tests meant that sometimes I didn't go as often as I was supposed to as I couldn't afford the extra petrol.”
Pathlab chief executive officer Dianne McQueen says laboratories have experienced workforce shortages in recent times and there is a national and global shortage of phlebotomists, (those trained to take blood).
The Covid-19 pandemic impacted Pathlab through employee sickness and resignations, which meant the team had to be redistributed to the more densely populated areas, says Dianne.
Currently, there are 19 phlebotomists and 10 receptionists or assistants at the six open Pathlabs in the Western Bay of Plenty, she says.
'In the past 12 months, we have had 29 staff transfer, retire or leave for other positions.”
Nine fully-trained phlebotomists were needed to reopen the closed collection sites, she says.
Pathlab have recruited 26 staff and have another four starting this week and each month thereafter, says Dianne.
The hope is to have the closed clinics open within the next two to three months, she says.