PARAMEDICS are being trained to take blood samples from patients to help drive down accident and emergency waiting times.

Ambulance staff are taking part in a pilot involving patients who are being taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Blood samples are passed to nursing staff on arrival at the hospital and sent to the lab as the patient is being checked in.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde say the aim of the pilot is to speed up the diagnostic process and "reduce the strain" on A&E services.

When patients are seen by a doctor, they should have a full set of blood test results.

The scheme is targeted at patients who have been referred as an emergency by their GPs to the hospital's acute receiving unit.

The pilot is detailed in the board's winter plan and part of a range of strategies to help ease pressure on accident and emergency services.

The paper states: "The premise of the project is enabling the Scottish Ambulance Service to assist in the emergency unit diagnostic process by taking a patient's bloods on route to the RAH.

"The expected benefit of this change is to speed up the diagnostic process, meaning when medical staff first reviews the patient, they should already have a full set of blood results to direct treatment options."

Both Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the RAH are also taking part in a pilot to help reduce pressure on the immediate assessment unit.

Under the scheme, GPs will decide if an admission for some patients can be safely delayed until the next day.

The health board say alternatives to admission will be explored by an experienced member of staff such as a senior nurse or a consultant.

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: “We are currently trialling a project with one particular paramedic crew taking patient bloods en route to hospital, in order to speed up diagnosis on arrival.

"This is being tested with a small group of patients who are referred by their GP to the Medical Assessment Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the project will be evaluated in the New Year.

“Staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital have been working closely with colleagues in the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) on a number of different projects to support patient care and flow, of which this is one.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said:"Paramedics are trained to take blood samples during their initial training.

"The pilot at the RAH is using this skill to take blood samples for some patients prior to arriving at hospital when they travel by ambulance.

"The aim of this is to escalate the patient through the initial department as quickly as possible.

"This is seen as a positive step in the patient experience and joint working with the RAH and the Scottish Ambulance Service".