Point of care testing specialist Alere has added the Afinion HbA1c to its range of rapid tests for use in primary care, allowing practitioners to provide on-the-spot results to help diabetic patients to better monitor and manage their condition. Alere is well established as a specialist provider of rapid point of care testing systems that are quick and easy to use in the clinic or GP surgery. Its portable LDX cholesterol/lipid profiling analyser is already widely used as part of NHS Health Checks programmes to deliver results in a range of community settings. Results can be immediately discussed with the patient and appropriate follow up, lifestyle signposting and referrals arranged. The Afinion HbA1c test offers the same advantages,  enabling GP’s to provide immediate feedback to patients about how well they are managing their blood glucose levels and take any necessary action. The Afinion HbA1c test needs only one drop of whole blood from a finger stick sample and DCCT and UKPDS results are reported in just 3 minutes.