THOUSANDS of Britons who tested negative for AIDS are to undergo new tests after mistakes, were found in the results.
Almost 20,000 men and women who have undergone an AIDS test in the past six months will have their blood samples returned to laboratories for retesting, the Department of Health confirmed yesterday. But some medical sources said twice as many people could have been infected.
After the announcement yesterday, AIDS charities said they were overwhelmed by callers who were "absolutely petrified" at the prospect of being told that their original diagnosis could be incorrect.
However, hospitals across Britain were advised to revert back to an older form of the test when Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, which manufactures the test, discovered a higher rate than acceptable of false results were recorded during routine inspections.
Dick Grogan adds: The Royal Group of hospitals in Belfast yesterday issued a reassurance to the public concerning the reliability of HIV testing carried out in the North.
The group said the test giving concern had never been used in Northern Ireland.