"children's blood test"

My child was booked in for a blood test at 10.30am in BAth street Health & wellbeing centre.

We were taken in quite promptly and he was asked to remove jhis jacket and lay on the bed.

The phlebotomist put the tourniquet around each arm in turn to check which would be the most appropriate to use...all ok so far.

The nurse who was present then tried to get my child interested in a book and asked me to put my arm around him and hold the book close to him and talk to him about it. The next thing that happened was a piercing scream from my child and my child jerking their arm away from the team. The phlebotomist had tried to put the needle in my childs arm...no warning to me and NO ANAESTHETIC CREAM APPLIED! Whilst pulling away the needle had scratched my child's arm and so there was a tiny bit of blood on there but no actual blood sample had been taken.

My child was beside himself crying and screaming and wanting to leave. The phlebotomist eventually advised me that there was some cream I could go and buy if I wanted to which would numb his arm before they could try again as there was an appointment free at 12.30.

If there is a cream that can be bought which numbs the area and avoids the distress we've experienced then why aren't the nhs applying it to every child before they even attempt to start taking blood?

I imagine it will come down to cost and the nhs not being able to afford it - so make parents aware there is something that can be bought if they choose to to avoid the distress we have encountered this morning. I now have a child who is terrifed of 'the doctors' and is begging me not to take them back there as 'they will try and hurt me again Mummy' - thank you Bath street Health and wellbeing centre for giving my son a phobia of Drs, nurses, hospitals and needles.

I was aware that the cream existed as I had discussed it with a friend who has medical training but unfortunately we both assumed that as it was a child who had a specific appointment at the centre they would have the foresight to use the cream or at least inform the carer that it was available to use before the procedure was attempted.

I tried to call to cancel the 12.30 appointment made for me but the first 4 times I assume the number was engaged as I was just cut off. When I did get through the number just rang out for 4 minutes and I was cut off......no wonder there are so many missed appointments when you can't get through to actually inform someone you need to cancel!

I am appalled by the lack of care and thought given today.