Changes to Tooting’s Blood Clinic have been announced that will see some services move out of the area – but vital front-line services will stay put following consultation with patients and St George’s Hospital and meetings with Sadiq Khan MP.

Sadiq Khan MP has previously visited the Blood Centre on Fountain Road, to meet the Chair and Managing Director of the National Blood Service, local Unions reps and Siobhan McDonagh MP to discuss planned changes to the services available at the centre.

Processing and testing services will move to NHS centres near Bristol, but the Blood Centre will continue to stock blood and blood components and run a range of specialist services, ensuring patients will experience the usual high level of the care they receive at the Blood Centre.

The loss of the services will lead to 86 redundancies – but Sadiq Khan MP has received assurances that these will be made through non-compulsory means, such as voluntary redundancy and redeployment of existing staff, or as a result of normal staff turnover.

Sadiq Khan MP said, “I am pleased that blood and blood components will continue to be stocked and supplied from the Tooting centre to local hospitals as and when they need it.

“Hospitals, and therefore, patients, will see no change to the service they currently receive from the National Blood Service.”