diff --git a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.cxx b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.cxx
index 91b39a8f5031e..a950cda6019ec 100644
--- a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.cxx
+++ b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.cxx
@@ -55,20 +55,6 @@ void DigitizerSpec::initDigitizerTask(framework::InitContext& ic)
     mDeadTime = o2::cpv::CPVSimParams::Instance().mDeadTime;       // PHOS dead time (should include readout => mReadoutTime< mDeadTime)
   }
 }
-// helper function which will be offered as a service
-void DigitizerSpec::retrieveHits(const char* brname,
-                                 int sourceID,
-                                 int entryID)
-{
-  auto br = mSimChains[sourceID]->GetBranch(brname);
-  if (!br) {
-    LOG(error) << "No branch found";
-    return;
-  }
-  mHits->clear();
-  br->SetAddress(&mHits);
-  br->GetEntry(entryID);
-}
 
 void DigitizerSpec::updateTimeDependentParams(framework::ProcessingContext& ctx)
 {
@@ -165,7 +151,8 @@ void DigitizerSpec::run(framework::ProcessingContext& pc)
       // get the hits for this event and this source
       int source = part->sourceID;
       int entry = part->entryID;
-      retrieveHits("CPVHit", source, entry);
+      mHits->clear();
+      context->retrieveHits(mSimChains, "CPVHit", source, entry, mHits);
       part++;
       if (part == eventParts[collID].end() && isLastStream) { // last stream, copy digits directly to output vector
         mDigitizer.processHits(mHits, mDigitsFinal, mDigitsOut, mLabels, collID, source, dt);
diff --git a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.h b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.h
index 8d75def27ade4..151087a05138b 100644
--- a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.h
+++ b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/CPVDigitizerSpec.h
@@ -54,14 +54,6 @@ class DigitizerSpec final : public o2::base::BaseDPLDigitizer
   void run(framework::ProcessingContext& ctx);
 
  private:
-  /// \brief helper function which will be offered as a service
-  /// \param brname Name of the hit branch
-  /// \param sourceID ID of the source
-  /// \param entryID ID of the entry in the source
-  void retrieveHits(const char* brname,
-                    int sourceID,
-                    int entryID);
-
   void updateTimeDependentParams(framework::ProcessingContext& ctx);
 
   float mReadoutTime = 0.;                                ///< PHOS readout time
diff --git a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.cxx b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.cxx
index da5e299b9eac2..943975c7a3256 100644
--- a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.cxx
+++ b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.cxx
@@ -60,20 +60,6 @@ void DigitizerSpec::initDigitizerTask(framework::InitContext& ic)
   }
   mHits = new std::vector<Hit>();
 }
-// helper function which will be offered as a service
-void DigitizerSpec::retrieveHits(const char* brname,
-                                 int sourceID,
-                                 int entryID)
-{
-  auto br = mSimChains[sourceID]->GetBranch(brname);
-  if (!br) {
-    LOG(error) << "No branch found";
-    return;
-  }
-  mHits->clear();
-  br->SetAddress(&mHits);
-  br->GetEntry(entryID);
-}
 
 void DigitizerSpec::run(framework::ProcessingContext& pc)
 {
@@ -156,7 +142,9 @@ void DigitizerSpec::run(framework::ProcessingContext& pc)
       // get the hits for this event and this source
       int source = part->sourceID;
       int entry = part->entryID;
-      retrieveHits("PHSHit", source, entry);
+      mHits->clear();
+      context->retrieveHits(mSimChains, "PHSHit", source, entry, mHits);
+
       part++;
       if (part == eventParts[collID].end() && isLastStream) { // last stream, copy digits directly to output vector
         mDigitizer.processHits(mHits, mDigitsFinal, mDigitsOut, mLabels, entry, source, dt);
diff --git a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.h b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.h
index 03360730a4c19..cf30ad085d717 100644
--- a/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.h
+++ b/Steer/DigitizerWorkflow/src/PHOSDigitizerSpec.h
@@ -55,14 +55,6 @@ class DigitizerSpec final : public o2::base::BaseDPLDigitizer
   void run(framework::ProcessingContext& ctx);
 
  private:
-  /// \brief helper function which will be offered as a service
-  /// \param brname Name of the hit branch
-  /// \param sourceID ID of the source
-  /// \param entryID ID of the entry in the source
-  void retrieveHits(const char* brname,
-                    int sourceID,
-                    int entryID);
-
   float mReadoutTime = 0.;                                  ///< PHOS readout time
   float mDeadTime = 0.;                                     ///< PHOS dead time
   bool mInitSimParams = true;                               ///< To initialize SimParams