A hospital trust is reaching out to thousands of patients who may have received incorrect blood test results.
Up to 11,000 individuals could be impacted, with some possibly misdiagnosed as diabetic.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reported encountering an “intermittent issue” with the machines that process HbA1c blood tests on specific dates in April and July.
The HbA1c test is used to measure a person’s average blood sugar levels and is critical for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes. Typically, people with diabetes have higher HbA1c levels than those without the condition.
In a statement on its website, the trust cautioned that the issue with its machines “may have resulted in some patients receiving HbA1c results that were potentially higher than actual.”
The problem only pertains to tests processed at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital laboratory.
Patients across Luton, South Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire who may have received inaccurate test results are being contacted for retests as a precaution.
The trust expressed regret for any “emotional distress and inconvenience” caused and confirmed that a “detailed review to find out what went wrong” is underway.
Patients are advised not to seek a repeat test unless they are contacted directly by the hospital via phone or letter.
The statement emphasized: “Although we understand any patient will be concerned to learn their blood test might have been wrong, it is important not to worry.”
As a precaution, the trust has stopped analyzing these tests at its Luton lab, adding:
“The repeat blood sample is going to be sent to another hospital laboratory to be analyzed, until we are sure the Luton hospital analyzers are performing accurately again.”
