Exclusive GPs in Essex have been alerted as a major trust is currently unable to process some common blood tests due to a shortage of chemical reagents.
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust told local GPs that ‘as a result of a national shortage of reagents’, it is experiencing disruption to their supply of reagents required for the testing of FT4 and vitamin D.
The trust said it is unable to analyse samples for vitamin D unless required for immediate patient management.
It added that several other reagents are also ‘in short supply’ including vitamin B12, folate and ferritin and that the trust may experience further disruption to these services.
GPs told Pulse that the disruption was likely to be ‘significant’ and that there was a worry the shortage would involve more reagents and therefore affect more tests in the future.
The trust said: ‘To maintain clinical safety, we are proactively prioritising FT4 testing based upon TSH results.
‘We will be unable to analyse samples for vitamin D unless required for immediate patient management. This will enable us to conserve supplies during this period of disruption.’
The trust added it is working with suppliers and the NHS England Regional Diagnostic team to manage this situation and ‘to try to resolve it as soon as possible’.
Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust chief executive Matthew Hopkins said: ‘We are aware of a national shortage of reagents needed for some pathology tests.
‘Patient safety is our priority, so we are proactively working with our supplier and NHS England to minimise any impact.
‘We have been in contact with GPs to ask that they let our pathology team know if they have any queries.’
In 2020, Pulse revealed exclusively that GP practices in Lincolnshire were told that laboratories could only carry out the most ‘urgent’ testing for a range of conditions including HIV, heart disease and prostate cancer.
GPs were asked to avoid booking any non-urgent blood tests due to the shortage of reagents required in the laboratory process.
In 2020, Roche’s warehouse move led to disruption to the supply of reagents to labs across England. It told Pulse at the time it managed to source emergency supplies from Germany in a bid to rectify the situation. Roche are not involved in the current short supply, however.
