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Glass shortage

Jo_the_boat

Well-Known Member
Messages
810
Location
Littleborough, Lancashire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My Mrs was at the docs the other day and asked if she could have an HbA1C as it was well overdue.
He told her (apologetically) that she'd have to wait a while as the surgery only had enough glass vials for emergency blood tests!
 
I had a blood test yesterday and the phlebotomist said that they have no issue with supplies at all. I *think* I read somewhere that it is only one of the two main systems that there are supply chain issues with.

I had my test in S Bucks (Amersham)
 
Sounds like the old postcode lottery thingymajig again
 
Restrictions in Suffolk at the moment.
 
Hello, I had a blood test at Scarborough hospital on Wednesday. Apparently GPS are not doing any blood tests except emergencies.
 
Ushthetaff said:
Sounds like the old postcode lottery thingymajig again
Click to expand...

I think it's the 'which blood collection system do you use' lottery instead. Our GP is saying they can't book routine tests to be done at the surgery for a while, but the hospital 10 miles down the road has no problem. I assume the GP uses the other system (I always tend to go to the hospital, it's less faff)
 
Jo_the_boat said:
My Mrs was at the docs the other day and asked if she could have an HbA1C as it was well overdue.
He told her (apologetically) that she'd have to wait a while as the surgery only had enough glass vials for emergency blood tests!
Click to expand...

Hi,

Yeah, I posted a screen shot a while back on another topic about this. I had a message from my surgery pretty much saying the same thing.
My wife had the same thing a couple of days later. (Though she don't need to undergo any such tests..)
Probably just a "mail shot" for all patents at my surgery.
 
No 'routine' diabetic blood tests here - I suppose it depends on whether the local area had stocks already before the shortage but this area didn't. The NHS centrally has told GPs to restrict tests so we don't run out completely before this govt sorts it out.
 
I had a brief chat about this with my GP a week or so ago. I need to have a test done in a week or so, having changed meds that I wasn't getting along with. When I queried if I'd be able to have the test, he explained I would, but some tests are being deferred, like routine lipid panels and such likes.

I also had an armful of bloods done on Thursday, so I think looking at the number of vials that entailed, I'll have a created a shortage all by myself.
 
I will have bloods tests done probably next week after I see my GP, to see how my blood counts and iron are going, she will slip in a hba1c test on the request form if I ask to have it included.

As I mentioned in previous threads re this shortage in the UK, Australia imports most if not all glass vials from China according to the pathology lab I go to.
 
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