Concerns for patient safety in Hampshire as blood testing postponed due to supply issues

Healthwatch Portsmouth has warned diagnoses will be ‘significantly delayed’ and already overburdened waiting lists could grow after local NHS trusts were told to cut all blood tests by at least a quarter.

It comes as the NHS has been hit nationwide by shortages after Becton Dickinson, which delivers blood vials, experienced supply chain issues.

As a result all local trusts, including Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) and Solent NHS Trust, have been told to stop primary care and community blood testing until September 17 – except where ‘clinically urgent.’

Roger Batterbury, chairman of Healthwatch Portsmouth, said: ‘Healthwatch Portsmouth are very concerned at the reported national shortage of blood test vials, we are more troubled by the guidance coming out locally to NHS trusts to reduce the volume of non-essential (non-clinically urgent) blood tests.

‘Patients know that blood tests are an important part of diagnosis and clinical work in hospitals and in GP practices. If patients receive information about a cancelled blood test they will quite rightly be concerned about their right to treatment and whether a possible diagnosis will be significantly delayed due to the need to reduce the number of blood tests by a minimum of 25 per cent .

‘There are already significant delays in the health system at present. We note though that blood tests can continue to ensure safe prescribing and monitoring of a condition, to diagnose a suspected acute condition, e.g. possible sepsis and to prevent hospital admission.

‘We think though the requirement for the already-overstretched clinical teams in the city to decide what is urgent and what is not urgent is a significant burden which could continue for several weeks.’

He added: ‘We have asked the local trusts about what extra measures they have put in place to reduce the impact on patients and how delays are being communicated to patients and whether there was any right to challenge the clinical decision but have not received any information about this.’

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Examples of clinically urgent testing include bloods that are required to facilitate a two-week wait referral, bloods that are extremely overdue and/or essential for safe prescribing of medication or monitoring of condition, bloods that if taken could avoid a hospital admission or prevent an onward referral and those with suspected sepsis or conditions with a risk of death or disability.

An NHS spokesman said: ‘While Becton Dickinson has confirmed that it will provide additional blood tube supplies, the stock must first be delivered and then go through the appropriate safety checks before the NHS is able to put them to use in patient care.

‘Therefore, as we continue to face a constrained supply, it is vital that GPs, hospitals and trusts continue to follow the guidance until further advised to reduce the number of tests carried out and prioritise patients with the most urgent need.’

PHU and Solent NHS Trust were both contacted by The News, but were unable to comment on how the shortage was affecting them.

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