Five patients recalled after blood test glitch at Wolverhampton surgery
Five patients had to be called back for blood tests after a glucose testing machine at a GP surgery in the Black Country was used on more than one person.
The incident occurred earlier this month at Coalway Road GP Surgery in Wolverhampton. Health bosses say they are now working together to understand the cause of the problem and determine how they can prevent it from happening again.
An 18-year-old woman, who has asked not to be named, said she attended the practice on September 3 after suffering abdominal pain.
She said she saw a locum doctor who used the blood glucose machine on her index finger.
"The doctor said that something may have been wrong with the machine used as she had pierced my skin four times," she said. "The final time, however, she produced enough blood to check my levels.
"At the time I thought it was just normal and believed she was very thorough, however, I was very wrong.
"On Friday the 11th, I had a devastating call from my GP saying that the machine which was used was meant for only one person, but this was not the case - it had in fact been used on multiple people which meant that I was needed to attend the doctors for a blood test as I may have contracted HIV, or Hepatitis B or C."
It was a traumatic and scary experience, she added, and she had not been able to eat or sleep properly.
She said she had been 'constantly crying and shaking with fear' of what the results may be.
So far her tests have come back clear, however, she says she has to get another HIV test in six months, and has to have a course of Hepatitis B vaccinations for the next 12 months.
Dr Donald Dobie, Consultant Microbiologist at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: "Following a problem with one of the blood glucose monitoring machines, at the Coalway Road GP Surgery in Wolverhampton, a small number (five) of patients at the Coalway Road GP Surgery in Wolverhampton have been contacted and asked to attend the surgery for blood tests as a precautionary measure.
"NHS England, Wolverhampton CCG and Public Health England are working together with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and the GP Surgery to understand the cause of the problem, and to identify how we can prevent this from happening again in the future.
"Please be assured that patient safety is our absolute priority at all times. If you are a patient and have any concerns please contact the GP surgery."
