BLOOD SAMPLE BOTTLES - a note from my Medical Centre

[piglette]

As you may have heard on the news there is a national shortage of blood sample bottles.

GP surgeries have been instructed by NHS England to stop all routine testing and only do blood tests in specific urgent circumstances. We have been told that this is initially until 20th September but it may continue further.

We are keeping track of all those who were due to have bloods in this time period and have lists of those we need to invite in priority order when routine testing resumes.

If you call to book a blood test, we check with the GP to see if it is in the category we can still do and will either book you in or let you know you are on the waiting list.

Please be assured that anyone who needs a test urgently will get a test.

Please continue to seek medical attention and book GP appointments in the usual way.

[123-go]

Thanks piglette. What's a GP appointment? 😉

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 123-go]

An historical abberation????

[123-go in reply to PMRpro]

It seems like it.

[Nap1 in reply to PMRpro]

You are so funny and so right. I have diverticulitis for the second time and I can’t get to see my gastroenterologist. Was in hospital with a white count of 22,000. On augmentin or amox clav 875 again. It’s tough out there. US not good at all. Good luck and health to all.

[piglette in reply to 123-go]

GP Appointment = Some phantom idea of our GP practise!

[123-go in reply to piglette]

I think that GPS have heard how great Healthunlocked is and have decided they won't compete. 💁Seriously, they are probably doing more than we give them credit for and I know from reading posts and comments here that a number of members are more than satisfied with their GPs.

It would be useful to know what they are doing though!

[piglette in reply to 123-go]

You haven’t come across my GP practise!! Covid was just an excuse for them.

[Rosbud in reply to piglette]

We’ve got one of those practices as well x

[Koalajane]

My blood tests for my diabetic review and kidney function are booked for the 20th September and I am awaiting a text to tell me it has been cancelled!

[123-go in reply to Koalajane]

I do hope not.

[MrsNails in reply to Koalajane]

Jane what l saw for Shropshire was Appt up to 17th September are cancelled, l’ll see if l can find the details from SaTH for you.

sath.nhs.uk/wards-services/...

[Koalajane in reply to MrsNails]

The appointment is at my GP surgery. Thanks Angela

[MrsNails in reply to Koalajane]

My Appointments have been at the GP Surgery until now but they have No Bottles……

[Koalajane in reply to MrsNails]

I have my fingers crossed that the surgery have them. We are away until the 18th and I have the review on the 29th so no point in that if no blood results!

[piglette in reply to MrsNails]

I did hear that BD the manufacturers are pulling out all the stops to improve the supply. On receiving the email from our surgery a friend offered to bring her recycled jam jars in for them, I am not sure the surgery has replied!

[MrsNails in reply to piglette]

Classic! 😂 🧪

[herdysheep in reply to piglette]

that made me chuckle

[Katkin1]

My GP surgery has just cancelled my annual thyroid blood test and my husband's annual PSA blood test as they have no bottles. I was surprised they cancelled my husband's one. They said they weren't doing any annual tests at the moment and told us to ring back in 2 weeks. It is very difficult getting through to them on the phone though, and took me several days to get through to book the original appointments.

[piglette in reply to Katkin1]

It is impossible to get through to our surgery, I should say that is also true with banks and insurance companies too! Everyone is working from home including our GPs!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

I had some queries about a bank account in the UK - they couldn't help me on the Helpline as they were working from home!! Fat lot of use that was ...

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Don’t talk to me about banks!!! I am being set up as a bank signatory for a charity. I had to phone them for some sort of security. Forty five minutes to answer. Yesterday I phoned up my insurance company as the sign on they gave me did not work. Thirty five minutes. The girl working from home had to contact someone else who told her the only way to sign on was to use Chrome. Like you cannot to anything without a mobile phone number any more grrrrrr.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

I find it utterly infuriating - and it is discriminatory. Thank goodness for here - a real bank and people in the village and only have to go into town for very specific things, like the wifi account or the motorway thingy.

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Our last bank closed a week before Christmas. It also threw out any local charities with an account, so they no longer have a bank account and it is nigh impossible to open a new one at the moment.

[LBM1953]

I had full bloods booked for Wednesday 1st September and duly turned up. I asked the nurse why I hadn't been cancelled because of the vial shortage and she sort of shook her shoulders and duly took my blood!! 👍

[Wenben]

I have had a letter and a blood form from the hospital this morning saying the MHRA has recommended all people with metal on metal type hip replacements should be monitored by having a blood test on an annual basis. I have had my implants for 20 years. The test is for Cobalt and Chromium and requires a lavender coloured tube according to the form. So it remains to be seen if I will get one when I ring the surgery on Monday.

[piglette in reply to Wenben]

Have you had one before in the last twenty years or is this a new idea?

[Wenben in reply to piglette]

I had one in 2012 after adverse publicity in the press and TV regarding MoM implants. I started having pain in my right hip in 2017... Xrays and MRI at that time were ok. Had a second Cobalt and Chrome blood test in 2019. Was told both within normal range as was the first one. Lumbar spine surgery and having PMR at that time all confused the issue. Spinal surgery cured the severe leg pain but I continue to have some problems with the right side (sacro-iliac pain was mentioned at one stage) and manage it with the help of a good physio and exercise. This latest letter is saying I now have to get these blood tests annually for as long as I have the implants following a review by the MHRA.

[piglette in reply to Wenben]

Ah, probably they are being forced into it, rather than necessarily caring about our wellbeing! I am being cynical again. You sound as if you have had some nasty pain. A friend had a hip with cobalt too and he still has it.

[Pongo13]

Can anyone medical explain why we can’t sterilise and reuse? I’ve been wondering, especially as we already create so many “one use” items.

[piglette in reply to Pongo13]

I do feel one problem is that there is an awful lot of one time use of plastic items by the medical profession. Pipette tips, tubes, gloves etc etc as well as blood containers. Also not all plastics can be autoclaved. We are not talking about just sterilising but decontaminating as well. The result is it is cheaper to throw away and manufacture more. Story of our world.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pongo13]

We used to - though I don't remember blood bottles ever being reused and that is from 45 years ago. I think a lot of it was BSE as the proteins stick to the surfaces and pose a contamination problem. HIV may also have played a part.

[Pongo13 in reply to PMRpro]

They can do such marvellous things these days. Hope some scientific folk can find a way in the next 45 years! Thank you, glad I know the answer. X

[IdasMum]

I've had 2 blood test in 2 weeks. So sorry for wasting bottles 😱