HEALTH bosses say they are working towards a solution after the blood service at Romsey Hospital was withdrawn.

West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are speaking to the service providers University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS), after the original hospital room was changed.

UHS said that the room they were offered instead as a replacement didn't meet their required standards, leading to the cancellation of the service.

Currently, UHS has put on a GP practice in the area and access to additional testing clinics at Southampton General.

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes said she was looking into what could be done to provide residents with a service.

A spokesperson for UHS said: "The space formerly designated for our phlebotomy service at Romsey Hospital is no longer available to us, and the alternative location we were offered does not meet health and safety requirements for this service.

"As an interim measure, we have offered to provide a phlebotomist to attend a GP practice in the area and access to additional blood testing clinics at Southampton General Hospital."

Chair of the Friends of Romsey Hospital, Elaine Granger, said the current stoppage of the service was "a great shame".

She said: "It is an important service for the community, and it is a great shame that it has stopped. Of course I hope the situation can be resolved and the service begins again as soon as possible."

Bosses at West Hampshire CCG, which is the GP lead organisation, said it would update residents as soon as a solution for a walk-in phlebotomy service within Romsey could be found.

Martyn Rogers, senior commissioning manager for out of hospital transformation, said: "The service provider explains that their decision arose from concerns about the suitability of the accommodation offered to the phlebotomy service at Romsey Hospital.

"The CCG remains committed to ensure good access to NHS services in the community and is in discussions with the service provider and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, the owner of Romsey Hospital, to seek a solution.

"As soon as the CCG has identified a route for patients to continue to access walk-in phlebotomy services, either within Romsey Hospital or elsewhere in Romsey, we will provide an update."