For Patients
Why pick a therapist from our register?
Total Therapy Association (TTA) members are verified practitioners with usually varied, and often extensive, training. TTA has a growing membership, of practitioners who have personally visited one of our training centres, and attended at least one of our own courses.
When you reach out to a TTA member, you can be assured that they are held to our high standards and ethical guidelines, and are part of an wide-reaching network of practitioners who can all support and consult each other when needed.
We believe TTA is the first network of varied types of self-employed health practitioners in the UK, who have come together with one aim in mind – to all help each other in their work.
Types of practitioner in our network include:
Massage Therapists
Acupuncturists
Fire Cupping Therapists
Gua Sha Therapists
Physiotherapists
Sports Therapists
Hypnotherapists
Counsellors
Herbalists
Phlebotomists
… and others
If you are looking for a therapist, in any modality, you may have just come to the right place.
What Else Can a Phlebotomist Do?
"I am so happy to have a proactive phlebotomy association to guide me and advertise my skills.”
The most common side effects
Side effects are few and usually very minor and temporary.
Bruising – Patients may have a small bruise or mild pain at the venepuncture site for a few days.
Infection – All equipment is sterile and hygiene standards strictly followed, however similar to any invasive procedure, there is a small risk of infection of the vein (phlebitis) or overlying skin (cellulitis) There is no risk of transmitting HIV or hepatitis infection through this procedure since all needles are disposed of after a single-use.
Hematoma formation/ Excessive Bleeding – This may occur after venepuncture in people who take blood thinning tablets such as warfarin. To prevent it, the patient is asked to apply direct pressure on the site with a cotton gauze for at least 5 minutes. Patients on anticoagulant therapy might need to apply pressure for a longer time.
Nerve injury – In rare cases, during the procedure, a nearby nerve may get touched by the needle resulting in some hypersensitivity.
Syncope or Passing Out – Some patients manifest a vasovagal response during or just after the procedure. Patient’s blood can be taken lying down and patients can away from the phlebotomy site, equipment, and blood-filled tubes.
Most people feel pleasantly relaxed and experience no symptoms at all.
Is Phlebotomy Safe
Phlebotomy is a very common procedure and it is very safe providing that you do not have certain contra-indications. It is important that you share with your practitioner if you:
- If you are taking any anticoagulants, immunosuppressants or any other medication.
- Skin conditions like cellulitis or abscess that can cause direct seeding of infectious agents (e.g. bacteria) into the blood.
- Presence of a hematoma (bleeding under the skin).
- Presence of a vascular shunt or graft.
- Presence of a vascular access device.
Phlebotomy is often called venepuncture as blood is usually taken from veins which return blood to the heart at low pressure and therefore much more easy to take blood from, have less complications and side effects. Arteries are used to take blood for certain types of tests although these are rare and carried out by a doctor and not a phlebotomist.
Find a Phlebotomist
Finding the right Phlebotomist can be a daunting task. As a professional membership body representing highly qualified Phlebotomists in the UK, we ensure that our members adhere to the highest standards of practice. Our members are located throughout the UK and Ireland, so you can easily discover the best practitioners in your local area. Simply click on the button below to access our map of the UK and find the right practitioner for your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Phlebotomists usually use different types of needles for different tests and some tests only need a finger prick to gain a couple of drops of blood and so use very fine needles usually with a fast injector which makes this almost painless. Other tests such as gut bacterial testing may use faeces, urine, sperm or saliva testing where no needles are used.
A Phlebotomist can carry out the majority of any tests required by your doctor or healthcare professional, but they can also offer a wide range of private tests for vitamins, hormones, gut bacteria and other types of testing.
Your phlebotomist will use fine, sterilised, single-use needles for your treatment. Most people notice a slight scratch as the needle enters through the skin but then is usually is painless or you may feel a very subtle ache.