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Concerns have been raised about the supply of vital test materials for a variety of conditions, including Covid-19, following a supply chain issue with the pharmaceutical company Roche.
On Tuesday Roche said it had experienced a “very significant drop” in its processing capacity due to a problem with its Sussex distribution center, the only one in the UK.
The shortage has been reported to include vital reagents, detection kits and swabs.
In addition to providing these chemicals and parts that are used in testing for Covid-19, Roche also provides materials for a wide range of procedures, including blood and urine tests, as well as for diabetes care.
Roche said supply chain issues may not be resolved in two to three weeks, but it is prioritizing shipping Covid-19 and antibody tests.
In a letter seen by the PA Media news agency, the company told customers to activate their local contingency plans “and recommend that they seek to prioritize only essential services.”
The letter adds: “In September we moved from our old warehouse to a new automated warehouse capable of much higher volumes. However, during the transition we encountered some unforeseen problems and a very significant drop in our processing capacity. Since then we have worked day and night to prioritize and manage orders, as well as increase this capacity ”.
It is understood that the issue has not had an impact on Covid-19 testing at this time. However, concerns have been raised about the future provision of tests for the virus and the impact on conducting diagnostics and monitoring in other aspects of medicine.
An NHS spokesperson said: “Roche has alerted hospitals to a problem with their supply chain and they will work urgently to resolve this issue.”
A Roche spokesperson said: “We are deeply sorry that there has been a delay in shipping some products and we apologize to any of our customers who have been affected.
“In addition to extending working hours, we have hired additional staff and, when they can, our dedicated teams in the field are working with customers to distribute products and minimize service disruption. We will continue to provide regular updates to our customers and we are doing our best to get back to routine operations.
“We are prioritizing the submission of Covid-19 PCR and antibody tests and doing everything we can to ensure there is no impact on supplying these to the NHS.”
Munira Wilson, a Twickenham MP and health spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, expressed concern about the impact of the problem while the health system was under “incredible pressure.”
She said: “These reports will leave many people incredibly anxious, and for good reason. Not only does this have serious consequences for our ability to test for Covid-19, but other people with potentially incredibly serious illnesses will also not be able to get the blood tests or screening tests they need. “
He added: “Our NHS must be able to treat everyone, whatever their illness, and ministers must do everything in their power to solve this problem with the supply chain as quickly as possible.
“We cannot allow this virus to get even more out of control, in addition to putting at risk the health of thousands of people whose diagnosis of serious diseases could be delayed or go unnoticed.”
