Recommendation 17

To preserve NHS testing capacity for domestic health monitoring, DHSC created a private sector market for PCR tests for people travelling. The number of firms offering PCR tests increased from 11 in December 2020 to at least 400 by September 2021. United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has a three stage process for accrediting firms 24 Committee of Public Accounts, Government preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons for government on risk, Forty-Sixth Report of Session 2021–22, HC 952, 23 March 2022; HM Government, The Orange Book: Management of Risk – Principles and Concepts, February 2020 25 Q 66 26 C&AG’s Report, para 10 27 Qq 67–68 28 Qq 68, 78; C&AG’s Report para 11 Managing cross-border travel during the COVID-19 pandemic 15 conducting tests.29 The first stage is a self-declaration that the company can provide tests to minimum standards set by DHSC. Despite this, DHSC listed companies as testing providers on gov.uk after passing only stage one. The NAO reported that 95% of companies failed the second stage of accreditation at their first attempt. The second stage required providers to submit evidence to the accreditor.30