October 28, 2020 11.53 am This story is over 41 months old

Blood test delays for Lincolnshire GPs due to chemical shortage

Urgent tests can still be processed though
| Photo: Adobe Stock / Antonio Diaz

A temporary shortage of certain chemicals is affecting the availability of GP practices in Lincolnshire to carry out routine blood tests.

Swiss healthcare company Roche wrote to NHS labs across the country on Monday after an issue at a new “automated warehouse” caused “a very significant drop” in its processing capacity, according to the Financial Times.

The report claims that “clinicians fear the situation will exacerbate existing shortages in supplies of diagnostics equipment, both for coronavirus and other diseases.”

The situation around Roche and the supply of reagent chemicals has had a knock-on effect on GP practices in Lincolnshire, but clinically urgent blood tests can still be processed.

A spokesperson on behalf of HNS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Unfortunately the problems being experienced by NHS supplier Roche are not fully resolved and there is still a temporary shortage of certain chemicals that is affecting the availability of routine blood tests carried out by GP practices, although our GP practices can still process clinically urgent tests.

“We understand this is frustrating for patients, and we are working hard with our partners locally to resolve this as quickly as possible.

“This issue is not in the practices’ control and they are having to rearrange appointments. Please remember to be patient and kind to practice staff.”