Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that a full blood count is (a) categorised as a core diagnostic service and (b) available at all community diagnostic centres.

Blood tests, particularly full blood count (FBC) tests, are among the most commonly requested diagnostic investigations across primary and secondary care, and are readily available across all 27 National Health Service pathology networks. FBC tests play a vital role in detecting and monitoring a wide range of conditions, and as such, FBCs are essential to timely diagnosis and treatment planning across multiple clinical pathways.

Phlebotomy, the procedure to collect blood samples, is widely available across general practice, community health services, and secondary care phlebotomy clinics, supporting equitable access to essential blood testing.

Phlebotomy is also a core service provided by all standard and large community diagnostic centres (CDCs). CDCs are designed to deliver a range of high-volume, low-complexity diagnostic tests, including common blood tests such as FBCs, closer to patients’ homes.