Doctors have ordered all non-urgent blood tests to be halted across England until September

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NHS England has halted all non-urgent community blood tests by GPs and other health services, as shortages of blood collection tubes nationwide became ‘critical’.

In a new Health Service alert on Thursday, NHS England also told hospitals they needed to reduce the amount of requests for blood tests by doctors by 25 per cent.

NHS trusts have been warned they need to make plans to help each other if some organizations come close to running out of tubes.

NHS England said the shortage of blood collection tubes was likely to get worse before it got better.

The new changes are designed to extend existing supplies and will be effective immediately and last until at least September 17.

It comes as staff at a major hospital have been told that the shortage has reached “critical” levels and staff need to take urgent action.

In an alert to NHS England, Medical Director Steve Powis said: “The supply situation remains restricted and is expected to become more restrictive over the coming weeks. While the situation is expected to improve from mid-September, overall supply is likely to remain a challenge for a while. long.

“The following measures should apply across the NHS in England, all services authorized and by independent NHS providers in England, regardless of which tube blood products they use.”

He added: “All primary and community care testing must be halted until September 17, 2021, except for urgent clinical tests. Mental and acute health trust funds must reduce their demand by a minimum of 25 percent for a three-week period through September 17, 2021.”

“Organizations are asked to ensure that they are prepared to provide mutual assistance across local and regional systems to those locations that are acutely short.”

NHS England said plans are in place to start using alternative products, but that it would take time for the tubes to be imported and delivered to trusts.

“It is important and urgent that demand be reduced as much as possible and that this message be acted upon immediately,” she added.

A letter to staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, seen by The Independent, warns staff that they should not order blood tests unless it is “clinically very urgent”.

The letter warned, “The ongoing shortage of blood collection tubes is now critical. Your urgent attention is needed to help control our testing and supplies.”

“Order a blood test only if it is clinically urgent. There should be high clinical supervision around arranging the tests.”

The trust said it was taking “all possible measures” to minimize the impact of the shortage and urged staff to do their part, and said, “We must avoid compromising patient care.”

Elsewhere, the Royal United Hospitals Bath Foundation has told GPs in the area they must cut the number of blood tests they order by more than 50 percent, the Health Service Journal reported.

In a letter seen by the HSJ, the trust said: “We have seen a 6 per cent reduction in the volume of GP tests but now we have to ask that all non-essential blood is not ordered. We are aiming for a more than 50 per cent reduction.”

This means stopping tests for all medical examinations, preventive medicine and monitoring as the trust focuses on the patient’s urgent needs.

NHS England and NHS Supply Chain, which handles equipment demand for the NHS nationally, have been trying to control stock levels since the start of the crisis but there is growing concern that the shortage could get worse before it gets better.

The British Medical Association said the shortage was a major concern.

In response to the latest warning from NHS England, Dr David Wrigley, deputy chair of the British Medical Association Council, said: “We are still close to understanding how this situation has developed; why there has been no contingency plan. And what happens if – despite NHS England’s efforts to avoid it – GP surgeries and hospitals ran out of blood tubes before September 17th.

“It is not unreasonable to suspect that there was a time when NHS England and the government knew that tube blood supplies were running out and, therefore, to ask now, ‘Why has nothing been done to alleviate this?’ “

“In the meantime, patients who need a set of blood tests now may face cancellations, or at best delays in having those tests and this is a major concern,” he added. Blood tests are an essential part of patient care, giving us key insights into different conditions, warning signs, and overall health. If it cannot be done or is delayed, the quality of patient care is compromised.

“Patients need clear information about the scale of the problem, the impact on them and what is being done to keep them safe. That should come from NHS England and very soon.”

Manufacturer Becton Dickinson alerted the NHS to problems in July and said rising global demand as well as “UK border challenges” were to blame as well as a shortage of raw materials.

A BD spokesperson said the company is working to increase the supply of products and expand its manufacturing capacity.

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