There is an ongoing national supply issue affecting NOVA POCT ketone test strips.
Further stock is not expected until the week commencing 26 October at the earliest.
Remaining stock is being urgently prioritised, with strips redistributed from lower-priority clinical areas.
ACTION REQUIRED NOW
· Reserve blood ketone strips for urgent cases only: suspected or confirmed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), paediatric patients, acutely unwell patients with type 1 diabetes, and patients requiring serial ketone measurements during DKA treatment.
· Use alternatives where clinically appropriate, including venous blood gas testing and urine ketone measurement. Please note that urine ketones lag behind blood ketones and may remain positive while DKA is improving.
Further guidance: NHS England’s interim clinical prioritisation guidance for blood ketone testing during supply disruption is available below.
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