An innovative new service developed in Exeter which allows people to take blood tests at home has won a prestigious national award to celebrate its positive benefit for patients.

Professor Tim McDonald and his team have been awarded the Impact Award for their outstanding work on the development of a national, home-based blood collection and laboratory testing service for NHS patients. This remarkable achievement was celebrated at the annual UKMedLab conference in Leeds, organised by the Association for Clinical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine.

The new service means eligible patients who normally have to visit hospitals or GP surgeries for routine blood tests can now take their blood samples at home and send them directly to the laboratory. The results are then automatically sent to their clinicians for discussion. The award-winning team has previously been recognised for its exceptional contribution to the lives of patients managing chronic diseases, having received the HSJ Acute Sector Innovation of the Year Award in 2021.

Prof McDonald, Laboratory Director for Blood Sciences at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and NIHR Clinical Fellow for the University of Exeter Medical School, said: ”I would like to express my gratitude to the laboratory team for their hard work and dedication in developing and introducing this innovative service. This service has had a positive impact for patients throughout the country and is a great example of the NHS adapting and innovating to the changing needs of our patients."

Prof McDonald is also a leading figure for his contribution to the field of diabetes, working closely with his innovative team to improve health outcomes for patients.

Find out more about research and innovation: