Disgusted customer

As a medical practitioner myself I am appalled at the service I have received from UPL.

Firstly I was told to go take bloods above Dr J Govender’s office, and that they were lancet. So I got there at 8am on 27/1/23.

I showed the phlebotomist Leah my forms, I told her I have some bloods that needs to be taken for my gynaecologist (with a lancet form), as well as bloods that needs to be taken for Sanlam for insurance purposes. She made a call and then assured me that she can do the bloods. She then proceeded to take 8 tubes of blood from me. Then she gave me glucose to drink, as I was for a pregnancy Glucose tolerance test.

Then to my surprise she and another man who was her supervisor I think, told me that they cannot take the rest of my bloods there, that they need to go somewhere else, so I must drive to another branch to take the next 2 bloods for the glucose tolerance test. Furthermore they cannot fill in the form for the insurance, even though they already took the bloods. Then only they told me they are UPL NOT lancet!

So being in my first trimester of pregnancy, having already been fasting, having already taken 8 tubes of blood, dizzy with a headache and nauseous, I had to drive to the other branch to meet Clive with all the blood she already took from me. Clive then gave me further bad news, that Leah did not tell me that UPL does not do genetic screening for Down syndrome etc! Then he told me to go to lancet with the bloods for the genetic screen plus the insurance after he completed the OGTT, which was a further 2 tubes.

So then I had to drive to Lancet, where they threw away the 6 tubes that UPL sent me with. Lancet proceeded to take 6 more tubes of blood. In all I was poked 4 times and a total of 16 tubes was taken!

I am extremely appalled at the lack of professionalism of your staff.

Firstly the phlebotomist Leah should have introduced herself and which company she was working for. Having a lancet form , she should have told me that she is not working for lancet .

Secondly she should have told me that UPL does not do genetic screenings, thus saving my time and the trouble of driving from place to place. Thirdly she should have told me that she would not be able to complete my glucose tolerance test as she was going to another site shortly. Fourthly she should have told me that she cannot do insurance bloods before taking it!

A whole lot trauma and trouble would have been

I would like to know how UPL would remedy this situation for having such incompetent staff and causing me so much trouble and putting my life at risk by making me drive from place to place while fasting and on a OGTT while pregnant.