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At least 55,000 people will need further blood tests after errors were discovered in machines used to diagnose diabetes. Up to 10% of NHS laboratories in England are affected by the errors, NHS England said.
The problems mean some patients have been wrongly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and prescribed medication they do not need. NHS England confirmed that 16 hospital trusts use the machines, made by Trinity Biotech, which have produced inaccurate test results.
NHS diabetes national clinical director Dr Clare Hambling said: "Being potentially misdiagnosed with any long-term condition, such as type 2 diabetes, is understandably worrying, however the clinical risk of harm to patients following this issue is low.
"Less than 10% of NHS laboratories were affected and all have either replaced the machines or addressed calibration issues following Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advice in July - and anyone requiring a repeat test will be contacted by their GP or local hospital."
The BBC has investigated the issue after first reporting in September 2024 that 11,000 patients faced re-testing after a machine at Luton and Dunstable Hospital issued incorrect diabetes results.
The procedure, known as the haemoglobin A1C test, measures average blood sugar levels which are used to diagnose diabetes and monitor the condition. According to the MHRA, issues with tests on the machines were first reported in April 2024.