Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued on the blood tube shortage to (a) GPs and (b) the NHS on how to prioritise patients' blood tests to ensure a parity in service across the country.

Guidance has been issued to the National Health Service on 10 August recommending actions for medical directors, nursing directors, general practitioners and pathology laboratories to optimise resources for pathology laboratory work. Further guidance was issued on 26 August advising of anticipated short-term shortages on certain product types and how to safely reduce demand of all tubes in order that clinically urgent testing can continue.