Patients will now have to book an appointment for a blood test at West Suffolk Hospital.

The decision was made to stop walk-in blood tests following a consultation to aid with social distancing and to reduce waiting times.

Blood tests can now be booked online or by phone.

A West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: "We have introduced appointments for blood tests at West Suffolk Hospital to help us limit the number of people in the clinic at any time and ensure safe social distancing.

"This will allow us to see more people more quickly, as it can help avoid lots of people arriving at the same time and so cuts the waiting time for patients.

"A small number of appointments are reserved for urgent tests for outpatients, as recommended by our consultants."

Patients who require regular blood tests will be able to book them in advance and more appointments will be released in the coming weeks as the hospital transitions to the new system.

Bookings are already required for at the Sudbury Community Health Centre and Newmarket Community Hospital, as well as certain clinics at West Suffolk Hospital.