A GP in Aberdeenshire has pleaded with patients to stop sending "unsolicited" urine samples to the doctor's surgery.
The Saltoun Surgery in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, was forced to change its policy after receiving a high volume of either unsolicited or "inappropriate" samples.
In a patient notice shared on social media last week, the surgery confirmed it would only accept samples that had been requested by a staff member.
The statement read: "Please be advised that we are no longer able to accept urine samples unless they have been specifically requested by the practice.
"This change is necessary due to the high volume of inappropriate or unsolicited samples being submitted, which affects our ability to provide timely care to all patients.
"Thank you for your understanding and co-operation."
The surgery has limited comments on its original post.
One health agency spokesperson referred to the situation in Fraserburgh as a "tsunami of pee", The Times reports.
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association has confirmed that the issue is not unique to Saltoun Surgery.
Many GP surgeries have had to issue public notices explicitly stating that they will no longer accept unsolicited urine samples.
The notices are often aimed at older patients who suspect a urinary tract infection (UTI) and drop off samples without prior consultation, one GP told The Times.
Many patients often send in their samples via "random domestic containers" instead of sterile sample pots, which increases the risk of contamination, rendering the sample useless and potentially leading to inaccurate results.
Typically, GP practices provide patients with containers and clear instructions to collect urine samples.
