London, UK: Supply chain failures at Roche following a move to a new warehouse led to a “very significant” drop in its testing capacity, the company said according to a BBC report.
Roche is one of two main suppliers of diagnostic testing equipment and materials in England.
The affected warehouse is Roche’s only distribution centre in the UK. Roche said it could take more than a fortnight to resolve the problem.
In a letter sent to NHS trusts, seen by the BBC, Roche said: “In September we moved from our old warehouse to a new automated warehouse capable of much higher volumes.
“However, during the transition we encountered some unforeseen issues and a very significant drop in our processing capacity. Since then we have worked around the clock to prioritise and manage orders as well as increase this capacity”.
The letter went on to advise local NHS services to “activate [their] local contingency plans” and “look to prioritise essential services only”.
