Patient's shock at diabetes test result error

Danielle Downs said repeated faulty test results provided by the Bedfordshire NHS Trust had caused stress and worry

One of thousands of patients who have been contacted about faulty blood glucose tests has described how the error left her shocked and angry.

As many as 11,000 people across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire have been asked to attend re-testing - with some potentially misdiagnosed with diabetes.

Patient Danielle Downs said the issue had undermined her confidence in the fitness and diet regime she had been following.

The Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust is urging the public not to call them directly but to wait until they are contacted.

Ms Downs said receiving test results indicating she was susceptible to diabetes had left her with "stress, sleepless nights and worry about what I was doing wrong with my diet and exercise".

"I just couldn't figure it out," she said.

The 44-year-old had the HbA1C test in April via her GP, which showed her blood glucose levels were significantly elevated.

The trust said there had been an "intermittent issue" with a machine that analysed blood taken in tests carried out on certain dates in April and July.

'Anger and frustration'

Ms Downs, from Dunstable, also had the test in February and subsequently received a notification that her blood glucose levels were too high.

She then paid £675 for private checks which revealed they were in fact normal.

After raising a concern with her GP, she received a letter from the trust in March stating that their equipment was in order.

She said this showed the problem had existed prior to the dates acknowledged by the trust.

"We are confident that our time frames are correct, the patients we have contacted are the correct ones and there is nobody else affected," said a trust spokesman.

They added: "We have looked at the results data for every HbA1c result produced in 2024 and applied a statistical model to determine the dates of concern where there is a possibility incorrect results may have been given.

"The methodology has been shared with national experts".

Ms Downes said she was "shocked" and "didn't believe it" when told her initial test results indicated she might be pre-diabetic.

She said her feelings were of "anger and frustration this has gone on for so many months".

The erroneous test results have been put down to a faulty machine at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital's pathology lab

In response to the BBC's questions, the Bedfordshire NHS Foundation Trust said: "The concerns were first brought to our attention on the week commencing 15 July 2024".

It said an incident management team was set up and worked to determine which patients had been affected and what action was required.

When asked how many patients might have been misdiagnosed with diabetes, the trust said it was too early to determine.

The spokesman continued: "At this stage we do not expect this issue to have caused serious harm and are advising patients not to worry."

"We sincerely apologise for any emotional distress and inconvenience that has been caused by this issue. We are undertaking a detailed review to find out what went wrong and identify any learning" they added.

• A helpline has been set up for those patients who have been asked to attend for a re-test - 01582 329 660.