A Hull man who was showing possible symptoms of diabetes and whose blood tests confirmed the diagnosis has now discovered he may have been on prescribed medication for it for six months – for no reason.
The man, 35, who asked not to be named, got in touch with Hull Live after reading a story about Diabetes Awareness Week and an appeal for people with the condition to attend their check-ups. He said: “I got diagnosed last year, only to receive a text from my GP that I’ve been wrongly diagnosed due to a machine failure at Hull Royal pathology.
“Now, I’ve got to stop taking the meds I was put on, for three to four months, to be retested.” The man said he had been “constantly back and forth to the toilet” and had an unquenchable thirst when he went to the doctor’s in 2024.
“It was so bad it was waking me up during the night. I was getting through three two-litre bottles of water a day, that’s how thirsty I was, and of course drinking that amount meant I was at the toilet all the time.”
He says he had two blood tests done by his GP, spaced apart, and he said he was “in the diabetic range, but only just”. The patient was prescribed Metformin, a drug used to manage type 2 diabetes.
“I was on one tablet a day at first but I was still constantly drinking so they upped it to two tablets, twice a day. I must have been taking Metformin for a good six months.”
The man was most concerned about “being on medication I might not need” but said he was also annoyed about receiving the news via a text. The man, who said some of his symptoms had improved – “I’m not drinking as much” – has now been told to stop taking the medication for three to four months before he has more blood tests.
A spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Last year, the quality management systems at the SHYPS laboratory, based at Hull Royal Infirmary, identified a reduction in the performance of equipment used for HbA1c testing, which measures average blood sugar (glucose) levels. This issue was promptly raised with the equipment manufacturer, who confirmed it was part of a wider national issue.
“In response, we took swift action, and the equipment in question is no longer used in our laboratory for HbA1c testing. One of the most important aspects of HbA1c testing is that results are reviewed periodically.
“This is standard practice, particularly for patients with borderline or raised results. It’s the overall trend, rather than any single result, that helps show whether diabetes, or the risk of developing it, is being managed effectively.
“We have worked closely with GPs to support retesting for any patients who may have been affected, as GPs hold the full clinical picture of how each result is used. We encourage patients to follow up on any retesting recommended by their GP, as this will help guide the next steps in their treatment, if needed.
“We understand this situation may have caused concern and apologise for any worry or anxiety it may have caused.”
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