Roche U.K. Warehouse Issue Is Delaying Shipping on Some Tests

(Bloomberg) -- Roche Holding AG is rushing to resolve shipping delays for some of its diagnostics tests in the U.K. after a warehouse problem, saying it’s doing everything it can to ensure there’s no impact on the country’s supply of tests for Covid-19.

“We deeply regret that there has been a delay in the dispatch of some products,” the Swiss drugs and diagnostics maker said in a statement on Wednesday. The company has added staff and extended shifts, with teams working “day and night to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

The distribution problems follow a shift to a new U.K. warehouse last month and come amid concern in Britain about delays in Covid testing as demand surges. Roche said it’s prioritizing the dispatch of coronavirus and antibody tests, which detect previous infection with the pathogen, to the National Health Service.

Some hospitals have been told that non-urgent blood tests should be stopped and that without rationing, they would run out of swabs for some types of tests within a week, the BBC reported. The report cited potential shortages in test kits for electrolytes, Hepatitis C and cancer diagnosis.

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