Blood tests

[joglynne]

I read recently that Roche had problems at their new UK warehouse which was impacting on the NHS. This morning my husband has been warned that his regular blood test, as a result of his Prostate Cancer and due next next week, could be cancelled but that my own weekly tests should still be processed due to the severity of my condition. Not sure if this impacts on any of our members but here are links to my local newspaper's article and a further article I found which goes into more depth.

snipetts... "This issue relates to a local site move of product distribution and only affects the UK and Ireland.

"This has not and will not affect our ability to supply COVID-19 tests in the UK.

"We have been in contact with all impacted UK and Ireland customers and are working closely with the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the HSE in Ireland, to minimise the impact on critical services which rely on our products - including cancer, cardiac and infectious diseases.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...acQxU2S5i3nmqg

snipetts ...The NHS Lincolnshire CCG email said Roche has asked labs to ‘safeguard’ supply ‘by prioritising testing for urgent patients only’.

The issue affects ‘tests such as UE, LFT, Glucose, Bone profile, Thyroid, Troponin, Cardiac enzymes, PSA etc and also some serology tests such as HIV, Hep B, Hep C etc’, the CCG added.

One affected lab was quoted as saying: ‘If any tests are required urgently we can perform these i.e. where they have requested repeat tests because they were previously abnormal and those patients who present with an urgent cause for concern e.g. renal failure but it is imperative that we protect the limited reagent supply we have.’

Dr Phil Williams, a partner in Lincoln, told Pulse: ‘There’s no such thing as a routine blood test, and they’ve not given any guidance on what is urgent and what isn’t. They’ve given no indication to practices how long this will last which makes planning very difficult.

The NHS Lincolnshire CCG email said Roche has asked labs to ‘safeguard’ supply ‘by prioritising testing for urgent patients only’.

The issue affects ‘tests such as UE, LFT, Glucose, Bone profile, Thyroid, Troponin, Cardiac enzymes, PSA etc and also some serology tests such as HIV, Hep B, Hep C etc’, the CCG added.

One affected lab was quoted as saying: ‘If any tests are required urgently we can perform these i.e. where they have requested repeat tests because they were previously abnormal and those patients who present with an urgent cause for concern e.g. renal failure but it is imperative that we protect the limited reagent supply we have.’

Dr Phil Williams, a partner in Lincoln, told Pulse: ‘There’s no such thing as a routine blood test, and they’ve not given any guidance on what is urgent and what isn’t.

‘They’ve given no indication to practices how long this will last which makes planning very difficult.

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/cl...-supply-issue/

[Taf]

My six-monthly blood tests were cancelled in March, and last months' have been "put on hold". Not due to lack of testing items, but because "there are no qualified phlebotomists currently working". It doesn't help matters that our GP surgery is still closed, as it has been since early March.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Taf

My six-monthly blood tests were cancelled in March, and last months' have been "put on hold". Not due to lack of testing items, but because "there are no qualified phlebotomists currently working". It doesn't help matters that our GP surgery is still closed, as it has been since early March.

l usually have my bloods done every 3 months but our surgery is only seeing the most urgent.

Its the same with my regular 3 month appointments with the diabetic nurse and podiatrist which have not happened since late January at our surgery.

[joglynne]

Taf and denphone.

It must be so worrying when you have no GP to contact and health checks are put on hold. I thought that all practices were doing the same as ours. Having to rely on the 111 set up just wouldn't fill me with much reasurance but I understand that more Doctors are to be used rather than the current total reliance on tick box scripts.

I seems my husband and I have been quite lucky with our GP/Consutants doing phone and video appointments for my conditions and John's Asthma and cancer checkups. John had an elevated PSA test 2 weeks ago and, as a result, his Consultant did a phone assessment and arranged a repeat test for next week. When he got s letter this morning warning him the test would be cancelled he contacted his Specialist Nurse on the phone and his blood test is now marked urgent.