Phlebotomist Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Phlebotomist

Hours

37.5 per week
Starting salary

£13,300 + per year

The work

Phlebotomists are specialist clinical support workers who take blood samples from patients (usually in hospital) for testing in laboratories. The results of the tests are an important way of diagnosing illness.

As a phlebotomist, your duties would include:

explaining the procedure to patients
reassuring patients if they are nervous or distressed
inserting a hypodermic needle into the vein and drawing off the blood into a tube
applying a dressing to the puncture made by the needle
labelling the blood sample
delivering the sample to the correct laboratory within required timescales
completing records and entering data on a computer.

At all stages you would follow set procedures carefully so that samples are not contaminated or mixed up.

You could work with babies, adults and older people, with a wide range of conditions. You would need to follow the appropriate procedure for each type of patient you work with.

Hours

You would usually work 37.5 hours a week, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Part-time hours may also be possible.

You would need to follow strict health and safety procedures, including wearing disposable gloves, when taking and handling blood samples. You may also need to have a Hepatitis B immunisation.

You would work mainly in hospitals, either on wards or in outpatient clinics.

Income

Phlebotomists can earn between £13,300 to £16,300.
With experience and specialist skills, for example in paediatric phlebotomy, this could rise to around £18,200.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You will not usually need any specific qualifications to become a trainee phlebotomist. However, some employers may prefer you to have GCSEs in subjects such as English and maths or a science.

Previous experience (paid or unpaid) of working in a caring role would be useful. You could contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust for further advice.

NHS Choices (for a list of local NHS Trusts)

You may also need a driving licence.

Training and development

You will usually receive on-the-job training, which can take up to six months and include:

the role of phlebotomy within the pathology department
the importance of professional standards and codes of practice
methods of blood collection
aspects of blood taking and labelling
choosing appropriate sites for taking blood samples (venepuncture)
health and safety.

After training you may be awarded a Certificate of Competence, which would allow you to work without supervision.

You may also be encouraged to work towards NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Health (Blood Donor Support), or take short courses with the National Association of Phlebotomists, for example in paediatric phlebotomy.

Skills and knowledge

good written and spoken communication skills
empathy, with the ability to put nervous and distressed patients at ease
practical skills and a steady hand
the ability to follow instructions and procedures accurately
attention to detail
the ability to work calmly under pressure
respect for confidential and sensitive information
an awareness of health and safety issues
teamworking skills.

More information

National Association of Phlebotomists (Opens new window)
www.phlebotomy.org

NHS Careers (Opens new window)
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850

Institute of Biomedical Science (Opens new window)
12 Coldbath Square
London
EC1R 5HL
Tel: 020 7713 0214
www.ibms.org

Opportunities

You would find most jobs within the NHS, but you could also work in the private healthcare sector.

With experience you could progress to team leader or manager. Another option would be to train for another biomedical science job, for example in cervical screening, haematology or immunology. See the Institute of Biomedical Science website or contact Health Learning and Skills Advice Line for information.

Your skills and experience in phlebotomy could give you an advantage if you want to go into donor care and work with the NHS Blood and Transplant Service.

NHS Blood and Transplant Service

Jobs can be advertised in the local and national press, Jobcentre Plus and on the NHS Jobs website.

NHS Jobs

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:

National Health Service (NHS)
Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)

The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:

primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)

NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).

The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.

Key facts:

The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.

There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.

National and regional data

High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:

London
South East
North West

East Midlands

The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

East of England

The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

London

The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

North East

The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

North West

The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

South East

The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

South West

The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

West Midlands

The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

Yorkshire and the Humber

The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.

Northern Ireland