More than 30 patients were delayed receiving treatment for sexually transmitted diseases after "incidents" at hospital testing labs.
Concerns were raised by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs sexual health services in Merseyside, about performance at Liverpool Clinical Laboratories (LCL) - which tests samples for NHS services across the city.
LCL, based in the Duncan Building in the Royal Liverpool Hospital, has faced a series of issues over the past 12 months due to faulty equipment and staffing levels.
Hospital bosses say improvements have been made, but have also warned that coronavirus testing could "impact performance."
NHS bodies are required to keep a watching brief on potential risks to their organisation, which are logged on a risk register.
The Mersey Care board of directors heard problems at LCL featured as one of the "seven highest scoring risks identified by the Liverpool and South Sefton Community Division."
A Board Assurance Framework report said damage could be caused: "If performance issues within Liverpool Clinical Laboratories cause delays in results being received by patients, leading to an increased risk of undiagnosed and untreated sexually transmitted infections being transmitted to the wider population."
The report noted that 12 patients had been affected in February and eight in January.
The report added: "Risk initially placed on the register by the Sexual Health Service due to delays in reporting of results.
"Reduced staffing and ageing equipment are sited as underlying causes for the delays at the laboratories, which is run by The Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust (LUHFT)."
The report also added that the risk level had been reviewed and raised "following identification of further issues related to communication of positive and negative results undertaken by GPs as part of our Chlamydia Screening program."
It concluded by noting: "LCL have informed the Trust that the Lab testing equipment faults have been resolved, however LCL have advised separately that we should expect an impact on performance due to increased demand from coronavirus testing."
LUHFT, which runs the Royal, Aintree and Broadgreen Hospitals, confirmed that 33 patients were affected as a result of the delays - but pointed out that was a "tiny number" of overall cases handled by the labs.
A joint statement to the ECHO from LUHT and Mersey Care said: "“The item highlighted in the Mersey Care NHS Trust board papers relates to a tiny number of the cases the service manages each year that received their results outside a previously agreed timescale.
"This has since been reviewed to better meet the clinical needs of patients.
The hard working NHS staff at LCL, are continually striving to ensure patients receive their test results within the appropriate clinical timeframe.
"Patients remain our highest priority and will continue to access and receive effective and high quality sexual health testing and treatment.
"NHS services plan to maintain business continuity in situations of unprecedented demand such as COVID-19, and LCL, as for all NHS services, will continuously assess and deliver the most appropriate clinically required service."
In January, Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which commissions health services in Merseyside said a "theme" had been identified involving "missed or delayed diagnoses" due to issues at LCL.
A spokeswoman for the Trust said at the time said no harm had been caused to patients and improvements had been made.
