Registering at General for blood tests???

[smudger]

If only going for blood tests and not seeing the doctor, do I still have to register at the desk? And when I was there on Tuesday I seemed to have a problem getting stamps, they didn't want to give me them until after I'd seen the doctor, at which point I was in such a state with just about every test known to man to have, that I then completely forgot about stamps altogether and got a ticking off in the pharmacy for giving her a 1€ coin, and didn't get a stamp for the visit to the doctor at all! Can I not just buy x quantity of stamps to last for a few visits?? And do I pay in retrospect for the Tuesday visit to the doctor???

And what else do I need stamps for apart from the doctor, pharmacy and blood tests? In the near future I'll be having an ultra sound, seeing a Gastroenterologist, and taking samples to the lab. Will I need stamps for each of these, and should I have paid for the chest X-ray I had???

So sorry for all the questions, it's my first time there since the stamp system came in and I'm having so many tests I don't know the protocol for each procedure!!

[memory man]

You would have to register at desk to see a doctor, who will
fill in a form for whatever blood tests are needed.
If you give the form to the man at stamp desk, he will count
up the number of tests on form and give you the necessary stamps.

Yes, you can buy a larger quantity of stamps to last for several visits.
We do this as it saves time queueing for stamps every time.

[smudger]

Thanks for that MM, I already have the blood test forms so no need to see the doctor, so can I just go straight to get the stamps and not queue to register?

[memory man]

I would say that you can.

[Rita Sherry]

Smudger

You can get the stamps from the Post Office to save having to wait around at the General - thats what I do. However if you are to see a doctor or specialist you do need to register at the registration points together with your book when they will give you slips for the doctor to use. 6 euros to see a specialist and if he/she wishes you to have a blood test or whatever you should not have to pay anything more as they uually give you a signed form for the purposes. I see the cardiologist (specialist) every 6 months and he tells me should I need blood test or ECG and gives me relevant form thus nothing more to pay. The stamps I have are used for the pharmacy for my medication although one of my tablets I pay for privately as they do not prescribe it at the General. In between blood tests I have done by Dr Mala with results given same day - 17 euros -saves time etc going to the hospital. Hope this helps but ask away should you require any further info.

Rita

[smudger]

Thanks for that tip about the post office Rita, I'd forgotten that! I saw doc on Tuesday, when he gave me the forms for all these tests, including the blood tests, but couldn't see any point in having to register at the desk when I'm not seeing the doc tomorrow, just going for the blood tests he prescribed on Tuesday.

Should I have paid for the X-ray I had, will I have to pay for the ultra sound, or the lab work next week??

I'm mystified about what to pay stamps for. So I pay for the blood tests because they were prescribed by the doc, but if they had been prescribed by a specialist I wouldn't have to pay, presuming I'd paid the 6€ to see the specialist - is that right?

Many thanks for the help!

[trevnhil]

The 50c tamps are ONLY to go on the back of forms, blood test or urine, and in the prescription book.
As mentioned, if you need to see, or have an appointment to see a consultant / Specialist or GP it is then that you have to register at the desk and pay 6 euros or 3 euros.
Like memory Man I buy probably 20 euros of stamps at a time

[smudger]

Thanks Trev, yet further question I'm afraid, what do I do about having seen the doc on Tuesday and not having paid???

Any ideas what else has to be paid for for future reference??

[Rita Sherry]

Smudger

I can only speak from my own experiences. When I see the cardiologist I pay 6 euros and get the slips for the prescription book. If the specialist requires me to have an ECG or Xray he usually gives me a form signed by himself and I present myself to the relevant place (ground floor as a rule) have said procedure done and take the result back to the specialist. I have never had to pay for these procedures by the stamps method etc nor been requested to do so. I would say that as you were not asked to pay for the procedures you speak of then there was/is no necessity as they were requested by the doctor. As I said I do however pay by stamp for any medication I require. Sorry I cannot be more forthcoming but good luck.

Rita

[smudger]

Many thanks to you all for the very helpful info!

Smudger

[trevnhil]

The Blood test area is a bit of a ritual in itself... Go down the corridor (where you get stamps from) to the far end, and turn left.. There may be a queue in front of you but you need to squeeze past them and get a 'deli ticket' from a machine on the right hand corner. THEN join the back of the queue, whether it is 50 people 30 people or just an odd few...
You take your forms (with the stamps on the back) to the registration window and give them to the lady.
She will enter things in the book.... give you the forms back.... and a phial/s for the blood to be put in.
Then retrace your steps to the blood taking room, the door is on the left.. Usually there are lots of people waiting here in a crowd... This is where you need the ticket you got as they let people in that room in ticket order, usually about 6 at a time.. Good Luck.
Oh, by the way... You have to have got the Deli Ticket by 9am, as they usually remove them at about that time..

[smudger]

Many thanks Trev, have been for blood tests before, but many moons ago, so good to have a refresher particularly about the stamps! Many thanks, and even with Georgi in tow I'll make sure I'm there well before 9!

[PaphosAL]

Good luck, Jacs! AL xx

[smudger]

All done, no probs thanks to excellent info here, there and back in just over half an hour.
Many thanks everyone!

[trevnhil]

Wow, that was quick

[smudger]

Couldn't believe it myself Trev, thought I might have struck lucky when we pulled into the car park and it was almost empty, and so proved to be!

[Varky]

It is August when all the prospective patients are on holiday having better things to do than to skive off work.

[trevnhil]

I went at around 11am and there was no queue at either the registration desk or the pharmacy

[mike strand2]

Time for the Government to start looking after the health of it's citizens! Cyprus’ government spending stood at just 2.6 per cent of GDP, last in the EU, and less than half the bloc’s average of 7.2 per cent of its GDP.

[smudger]

Well I can hardly complain Mike with the barrel load of tests I'm having at the mo, let alone any ongoing treatment thereafter! But if your % are right, then I can't argue with you at all.