Patients in Harlow will soon be able to access blood tests more easily and conveniently, as The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) will to move its main phlebotomy service into the town centre.
From 27 April 2026, blood testing services currently provided at The Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) site, which are delivered by Health Services Laboratories (HSL), will relocate to a new, purpose-built facility on the first floor of The Harvey Centre (opposite Cineworld), delivered in partnership with Harlow Council.
The move will bring healthcare closer to where people live, shop and travel, making appointments easier to attend while freeing up vital space at the hospital for more complex and urgent clinical care.
Around 300 patients a day currently attend PAH for blood tests. The new facility will provide a modern, welcoming and patient-focused environment, with easier access, improved parking options and the same high standards of safety, infection control and clinical care – delivered by the current experienced phlebotomy team.
Blood testing services will continue to be available at St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping and Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford. In addition, a small amount of phlebotomy services will be provided at the PAH site for patients under one year old and those requiring specific blood tests. Patients will be advised by their clinician if they need to book at the PAH site and how to do this.
The project marks the first visible step in a wider plan to bring more healthcare services onto the high street, transforming how care is delivered in Harlow by moving appropriate services out of hospital settings and into the heart of the community.
Work is complete inside The Harvey Centre with the new facility being designed around patient flow, privacy, comfort and efficiency.
Thom Lafferty, Chief Executive of The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “This is a really important step in modernising how we deliver care. By moving blood testing into the town centre, we’re making it easier, more convenient and more accessible for patients – while also freeing up hospital space for the services that truly need to be there.
“This is about bringing healthcare closer to everyday life, and this project is just the beginning.”
For further information, please visit: https://www.pah.nhs.uk/services/blood-tests/