Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Paragraph: 85
Inadequate accessibility to testing and forensic capacity for spiking victims
Conclusion
Accessibility to testing is an issue for many victims and the lack of forensic testing capacity creates evidential difficulties for the police.
Paragraph Reference:
85
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
As the Committee notes, law enforcement, in partnership with forensic provider Eurofins, established an accredited rapid urine testing service in response to the outbreak of needle spiking in Autumn 2021. This service will be in place throughout 2022, with the intention of developing a better service in 2023. This capability is both faster and less expensive than a full toxicology submission, enabling law enforcement to provide assurance and additional support to victims more quickly than they would usually be able to.4 Results from the rapid testing capability can be upgraded for evidential purposes. This capability, while initially open only to samples from reports of needle spiking, has been open to all spiking samples since January 2022.