Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 197
197
Accepted
The NAO’s December 2020 report pointed out further that NHS Test and Trace was unable...
Conclusion
The NAO’s December 2020 report pointed out further that NHS Test and Trace was unable to meet demand due to insufficient laboratory capacity as a result of: • delays in getting new laboratories up and running; • delays in delivering testing equipment, including supply chain problems with swabs, screening kits and testing reagents; and • difficulties in staffing new laboratories.305
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepts the recommendation, affirming the importance of rapidly scaling up test, trace, and isolate programmes in future health emergencies. It details UKHSA's current surge capacity (700k-800k PCR tests/day and 2.5m LFD tests/day) and commits to continuing capacity development and ensuring a resilient, scalable infrastructure.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The government accepts this recommendation. The government agrees with the Committees that it is vital to ensure that, in future health emergencies, the UK has robust plans and the capabilities to rapidly scale up test, trace and isolate programmes. The government has already taken steps to ensure that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has the capability and capacity to maintain central surge capacity for testing and contact tracing during a public health emergency. UKHSA has the capacity to conduct 700,000 PCR tests per day and scale this up to 800,000 PCR tests per day in 72 hours. UKHSA also has the capacity to deliver 2.5 million Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests per day. The government will continue to develop its capacity to enable early and effective detection of disease through testing and surveillance, and to intervene to stop the spread of infection through contact tracing and isolation. Looking ahead, the government will ensure that a resilient and scalable infrastructure is in place to protect the public from new and existing threats to health, building on the legacy of the response to this pandemic as set out in the ‘Living with COVID-19’ strategy.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗