Patients in Nottinghamshire have been left unable to get blood tests due to an ongoing shortage of vials.
There have been problems with the suppliers of the vials, Becton Dickinson, since last month.
Doctors had been told to stagger some blood tests due to the shortage, and it is said to have put them in the 'terrible position' of deciding who gets a blood test and who doesn't.
The NHS have said in their latest guidance that, due to Becton Dickinson now making improvements, they "expect its production capacity to recover through September".
The guidance adds: We ask that any backlog of tests is worked through over a period of at least eight weeks, prioritising as required, to spread the demand for tubes."
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “As we continue to face a constrained supply, it is vital that GPs, hospitals and trusts continue to follow the guidance until further advised to reduce the number of tests carried out and prioritise patients with the most urgent need.”
They said it is hard to know how many people in the area have been affected.
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