Sharp(s) shooter who is first to draw blood
Phlebotomy is a bloody business but when the proverbial well runs dry staff at Ealing Hospital draw on the experience of one man.
Ashraf Mohamed's skill at taking bloods where others struggle is such that the phlebotomist is repeatedly called onto the wards to help clinical colleagues.
“It's a combination of experience and just having a feel for it,” laughs Ashraf who won the Unsung Hero (clinical) category at the annual Staff Excellence Awards.
Ashraf originally trained as a doctor in Sri Lanka before emigrating to the UK in the noughties.
“I practised for several years during the height of the civil war in Sri Lanka but had to escape after a group tried to pressure me into joining them. I was part of an oppressed minority myself, but you do not solve anything by killing people. Neither side had a right to do that.”
Ashraf walked through the jungle all night to avoid being press-ganged into action and was lucky enough not to be asked for ID papers by guards screening people boarding a boat to escape the fighting.
“I really didn't want the stress of being a doctor when I came to the UK and happily trained as a phlebotomist.”
Word soon got around Ealing that Ashraf was the person to call if staff had trouble taking bloods.
“Common reasons include swollen arms, severe dehydration, and small veins, which is common as you get older. I even had a professor and a couple of consultants shadowing me as they were curious to see what I was doing.
"It is a case of knowing where to take blood, how to take it, and paying attention to the texture of the skin. I am hoping to get ultrasound training later this year which helps identify where to find deeper veins.
"I really enjoy chatting with patients and putting them at ease first. If you are nervous you make the patient nervous so I always tell people to be confident and relaxed. It helps to have a great team and I couldn't do my job without the incredible people around me.”