13 June 2018
Friendship and camaraderie are a huge part of working in the NHS.
So it’s no surprise that the Beatles classic ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ has been chosen as the official song to mark the NHS’ 70th birthday next month.
Midwives Cheryl and Sarah know a thing or two about friendship.
They met on their first day at primary school in 1988.
Little did they know that 24 years later they would both qualify as midwives and still be the best of friends.
Throughout primary school they were inseparable and went onto the same senior school.
After school, Sarah trained and qualified to be a nurse, while Cheryl steadily worked her way up in a high street bank.
Unbeknown to each other at the time, they even got engaged on the same day.
It wasn’t until Cheryl’s daughter was born that she decided it was time to follow in her mum’s footsteps and become a midwife.
Meanwhile, Sarah had been a nurse on the cardiothoracic ward for five years and despite loving her job she also decided now was the time to pursue her dream to become a midwife, she joined Cheryl in the second year of university.
They became colleagues as well as best friends when they both graduated in 2012.
Sarah has maintained her nursing registration and continues to work as part of the nursing bank.
They have delivered each other’s babies and now work together to deliver other people’s babies.
Sarah said: “Cheryl is a very special person and is a compassionate midwife. When I lost my own babies she held my hand, and she calmed my nerves when I had my rainbow baby. Being a midwife is a special job that I feel very passionate about but we had two very good role models – both my mum and Cheryl’s mum both worked in the NHS – we like to think that we make them both proud.”
Cheryl said: “I have never regretted the decision to change career to become a midwife and I have been lucky to have my best friend by my side. Bringing a life into the world never fails to amaze me and I am proud of what Sarah and I have achieved. Being a midwife is hard at times, but that’s why we all need a little help from our friends.”
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There are over 30 blood test service locations in and around Coventry. Most clinics have appointments to book in advance online. Click on the map for details of the clinic most convenient for you.
Click on the map for information about phlebotomy clinics in Coventry. You can book an appointment online at the locations in red.
You can also download a leaflet at this link.
We strongly advise all patients use our new online appointment system before attending for a blood test to avoid any disappointment. The new service helps patients, their carers and family members to plan their hospital visit better, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly.
Walk-in appointments remain available dependent on availability, however you may have to wait for the next available appointment time. Please note that walk-in patients will be given an approximate time slot and this may vary.
Location: Outpatients Department, on the ground floor. Opening hours: 8am-4.45pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Based on demand we are only able to see a set amount of patients per day so, once we have filled all allocated slots we can no longer accept walk-ins. This may mean you will need to revisit the site to have your blood test on another occasion or book online for another site.
Patients from Rugby and the surrounding areas are able to access the Friends Blood Taking Unit at the Hospital of St Cross.
Referrals for blood tests can be from GP's, practice nurses or from hospital consultants. Patients are also able to leave other samples, such as urine, which have been collected at home, at the hospital's Pathology Reception.
Location: Near Brookfield House, just off North Road - map here. Opening hours: The blood taking clinic sessions for adults and children are listed below:
Monday -Friday 7am-8am Appointment only
Monday – Friday 8am-4.45pm *Appointments and walk-in available
Wednesday Evening 5pm-7pm Appointment only
Saturday Morning 7am-10pm Appointments only
* While we offer a walk in service, we highly recommend booking an appointment to save patients from waiting. If all walk in slots are filled, we may need to ask patients to attend again on another day, or to book online for another site.
Children under 16 years old will need to book online here.
Address: Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry CV1 4FS Location: Access is via the main doors, the Phlebotomy team are in Area A. Opening hours: Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 8am–4.45pm - Based on demand we are only able to see a set amount of patients per day so, once we have filled all allocated slots we can no longer accept walk-ins. This may mean you will need to revisit the site to have your blood test on another occasion or book online for another site.
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)
Specialist Tests - There are a small number of specialist tests where blood needs to be taken on a hospital site as the sample must be transferred to the laboratory rapidly for the test to be undertaken. Click here for a list of these specialist tests and to find out more.