Doctors on Tuesday denied they are being paid extra for new phlebotomy duties.

Times of Malta reported on Monday that the government is paying young doctors extra wages to draw patients’ blood and counter months-long union directives that are being followed by phlebotomists.

The phlebotomists are obeying directives issued by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses in a dispute over a sectoral agreement due to replace the one that expired in January last year.

Sources close to the hospital said the doctors were receiving remuneration to draw blood instead of the phlebotomists, in an effort to reduce the hardships caused to patients.

But the Medical Association of Malta said on Tuesday some doctors were asked to stay two hours overtime to take blood tests in patients who are pregnant, oncology/cancer patients and other blood tests that were deemed urgent. 

It said all blood tests in hospital wards, which are not taken by phlebotomists who have a quota of 20 per day, are taken by medical doctors to safeguard against any potential harm to patients resulting from the directive to phlebotomists.

It denied that any pay rise was related to new phlebotomy duties.