Recommendation 22

Testing for NHS workers (with symptoms) only began from 27 March, with eligibility extended to social care workers (with symptoms) from 15 April, after the pandemic had passed its first peak. In the period up to 15th April up to a maximum of five symptomatic residents in each care home would be tested, and from the 28th April all symptomatic care home residents were offered testing but this was capped at 30,000 tests per day between residents and staff. From 28 April, all social care workers were eligible for tests, but the Department capped the daily amount of care home tests at 30,000 (to be shared between 54 Qq 51–52, 56–57, 78–79 55 Qq 25, 27 56 Qq 49–50; Public Health England letter from Professor Paul Johnstone to PAC Chair, 2 July 2020 57 Qq 76, 78, 79 58 Q 109 59 Qq 5, 94 60 Qq 96–97 61 Qq 21,23, 26–27; Committee of Public Accounts, NHS capital expenditure and financial management, Eighth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 344, 8 July 2020; RSC0010 NHS Confederation submission; RSC0001 Care England submission; RSC0002 Local Government Association submission; RSC0004 NHS Providers submission 62 C&AG’s Report, para 4.28 16 Readying the NHS and social care for the COVID-19 peak staff and residents).63 Stakeholders told us that failures in testing had also led to increased anxiety and frustration as well as increased absence due to unnecessary isolation. For example, the NHS Confederation told us that the NHS had had an unprecedented level of absence during the first weeks of April.64 When asked about testing staff, the Department said it had made this available in care homes as capacity increased and there were now around 70,000 tests a day available to all care home staff as well as residents. NHSE&I told us it had now started testing asymptomatic staff and referenced Public Health England’s large-scale study testing staff to see if they had COVID-19 now, or had previously had it, which would provide more information on how and when it was best to test.65