All GP practices are affected by the current national shortage of blood tubes and are taking urgent steps alongside our hospitals to prioritise their use for people with the greatest clinical need. This includes testing for serious conditions such as cancer.
We are following national guidance which has been issued in response to the shortage. As a result, we may need to cancel and delay a number of patient appointments for blood tests deemed routine or non-urgent. If you have a routine blood test appointment your GP surgery will be in touch directly if they need to cancel your appointment, this will be by phone or by text message.
Please be assured that appointments will be rescheduled once the situation has improved, and in line with national guidance. There are a few things you can do if you are affected by this change:
- Check our website for updates – we will be sharing the latest patient information as we receive it.
- Check your phone for messages from your GP practice.
- Please don’t call or contact your GP practice with questions about routine blood tests – practices are experiencing exceptional levels of demand at the moment, and your cooperation will help practice staff to focus on reaching those without smartphone or internet access with this critical information.
- Do get in touch with your GP practice online if your condition worsens or changes so that the surgery can prioritise your blood test if necessary following clinical review.
The changes are likely to be in place for at least four weeks. We will keep you updated as the national situation changes. We fully understand the frustration this is likely to cause, and apologise for the inconvenience.