THE FATHER of two disabled daughters says they can no longer attend a health centre for blood tests due to long queues.

Aslam Butt of Crescent Road, Leyton, said if it wasn’t for a home blood service coming to the rescue, his children would be forced to wait for up to two hours for a quick test.

Mr Butt’s daughter Kinza, 16, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to communicate verbally.

His younger daughter Alina, 11, suffers from epilepsy. The two require regular blood tests and Mr Butt says taking them to the hospital or doctor’s surgery is no longer an option.

The 45-year-old said: “I find it incredibly difficult to get my daughters to medical appointments.

“When I take Kinza to Leyton Health Centre there is always a long queue and she gets tired.

“She can’t stay in her wheelchair for too long and after half an hour she gets irritated and starts crying. It upsets me when I see her in this situation.

“She can’t control her feelings because of her mental condition.

“It’s frustrating because I have no means to stop her but I know it’s my duty to care for her.

“So many times I have requested that she be seen first.”

Mr Butt has resorted to using Walthamstow based Regional Blood Services for home visits when his daughters need urgent tests.

The father-of-four emigrated from Pakistan in 2005 and was joined by his family six years later.

He and his wife Sadia, 45, are full-time carers for their two disabled daughters.  

Mr Butt added: “One time when I took Kinza to A and E at Whipps Cross we had to wait two hours.

“On the day my daughters needed blood tests I was already planning how we were going to get to the hospital - buses or a taxi – and it would have been a very stressful process.

“I am so pleased that this blood service helped me in this way and I was so relieved when they came.”

Due to an increased demand the Regional Blood Services are planning to extend their services across the capital. They currently offer free home blood tests to elderly and disabled people in the Waltham Forest.  

Managing Director Chris Reid said: “We have been truly overwhelmed with the positive response to our service.

“We are hearing stories on almost a daily basis from people complaining about the long waits at phlebotomy departments and clinics, and even of people being turned away due to overcapacity and lack of staff.”

In March a pensioner from Leytonstone hit out at a health centre for turning him away when he arrived for a blood test.

Dr Cathirithamby Thiagarajah was denied the test at Langthorne Health Centre in Langthorne Road, Leytonstone, on three consecutive days.

A spokesperson for Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We are aware that there is high demand for blood testing services in Waltham Forest and that waiting times are affected by phlebotomist availability and the number of patients accessing the service.

“Waltham Forest CCG is seeking to implement a new phlebotomy service specification later this year, aiming to offer patients a choice of a pre-booked or walk-in appointment depending on their needs.  This change to the service should lead to fewer people waiting at any one time and shorter overall waits for blood tests.”