Non-urgent blood tests given NHS green light

GPS will be able to carry out nonurgent blood tests again from today after the NHS lifted restrictions that were in place because of shortages.

Doctors were told last month that supply issues at Becton Dickinson, a manufacturer, meant all tests which were not “clinically urgent” could not go ahead until after Sept 17.

NHS England said yesterday that supply had improved but added “the issue is not yet completely resolved” and supplies remained “constrained”.

“Any backlog of tests [should be] worked through over a period of at least eight weeks, prioritising as required, to spread the demand for tubes,” it added.