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2d ago

NHS Orders 55,000 Diabetes Retests After Faulty Lab Machines Trigger False Results

NHS leaders say the clinical risk is low, with patients needing new checks to be contacted directly by their GP or hospital.

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Tirzepatide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes (seen here in red), may have been prescribed to treat patients who had an incorrect diagnosis
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Overview

  • Up to 10% of NHS laboratories in England were affected, with 16 hospital trusts using the implicated Trinity Biotech systems.
  • The issue involves a positive bias in haemoglobin A1C readings that can push borderline results into incorrect type 2 diabetes diagnoses.
  • Following MHRA advice issued in July 2025, all affected sites have either replaced the devices or corrected their calibration.
  • Problems were first reported to the regulator in April 2024, and Trinity Biotech issued three Field Safety Notices to UK users during 2024.
  • Some patients were wrongly prescribed diabetes medication, including metformin, and reported side effects, while a full public list of affected trusts has not yet been released.