Vascular Access Facilitator team

The Vascular Access Facilitators (VAFs) are a small specialist team consisting of five highly skilled Facilitators. Supervised by the clinical site practitioners, VAFs provide support across the hospital for patients who are known to be difficult to access intravenously.

The main function of their role is to review patients who have been graded 4/5, where veins are not clearly visible and identifiable, or who have had two previous IV attempts without success.

Training is also an important element of the team’s role and each VAF is involved in supervising the practice of phlebotomy and cannulation competencies for clinical and medical staff across the trust.

The Vascular Access Facilitators work with all wards and clinics within the Trust. Our VAFs are not phlebotomist and do not attend to routine patients.

• Vikram Patel
• Keri-Ann Ince
• Shereen Corbin
• Shelley Hall
• Dominic Quainoo

The Vascular Access Facilitators service is available Monday-Friday, between 8am-9pm.

Advance bookings must be made via the administrative team of your child’s clinical speciality by emailing VAF2@gosh.nhs.uk. All urgent request can be taken via their bleep 0082 by a member of staff in the trust.