A doctor at a British hospital said a new rule requiring doctors to write "please" on blood test request forms could put patients at risk.
Administrators at England's Worthing Hospital confirmed the new policy of refusing blood tests during weekends if doctors have not written "please" on the form, The Sun reported Tuesday.
The managers said the move is aimed at easing pressure on hospital workers charged with performing blood tests by making doctors consider whether the tests are essential.
However, a doctor at the hospital said on condition of anonymity that he sees the policy as a money-saving measure that could prove dangerous for patients.
"I was shocked to come in on Sunday and find none of my bloods had been done from the night before
because I'd not written 'please,'" the doctor said. "I had no results to guide treatment of patients. Myself and a senior nurse had to take the bloods ourselves, which added hours to our 12-hour shifts. This system puts patients' lives at risk. Doctors are wasting time doing the job of the technicians."