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Hancock orders all spare coronavirus tests to be used for NHS staff Coronavirus: just 2,000 NHS frontline workers tested so far
(about 4 hours later)
Health secretary lifts cap on testing workers as data shows many in isolation may not be infected No 10 urges hospitals to test as many staff as possible as data shows many in isolation may not be infected
Matt Hancock has ordered all spare coronavirus tests to be used for NHS workers, as it emerged only a small proportion of those in isolation appear to be really sick with the virus. Only 2,000 NHS frontline workers out of about half a million have been tested for coronavirus so far, despite up to one in four being off work with suspected symptoms in some areas of the country.
The health secretary, who is in isolation himself, removed the cap on NHS staff only being allowed access to 15% of testing capacity while 85% were reserved for patients. Amid criticism of the UK’s low testing numbers, No 10 said a “clear instruction” has been issued to hospitals to test as many staff as possible, with trusts allowed to decide how to split tests between workers and patients.
This has led to testing well below capacity for the past few days, but the Department of Health now hopes it will ramp up to more than 10,000 tests a day, with capacity exceeding 12,000 and set to hit 15,000 within days. The latest figure of 2,000 workers tested in total shows about only 500 tests a day on doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical staff are being carried out.
The government has faced a backlash for testing fewer than 5,000 people a day at the weekend and 8,200 at the last count, in contrast with Germany’s 70,000. Downing Street said the coronavirus testing capacity stands at 12,750 – but only 8,630 tests were carried out on Monday.
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said an increase in testing was crucial so that NHS staff in isolation could get back to work. Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “In terms of testing, as you know the NHS and Public Health England are working to increase the capacity.”
He said there was “intriguing data from a very small sample size … only around 15% of those in 14-day isolation tested positive so the other 85% could come back to work” which if “anything like right, is a huge opportunity”. The government has blamed the slow rate of testing – compared with 70,000 a day in Germany – on a lack of some specialist chemical reagents and swabs.
Public health experts have been calling for mass community testing to ensure those infected very strictly observe quarantine measures. Chris Hopson, the chief executive at NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said one NHS trust can test only three staff members a day due to a lack of swabs.
Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said on Tuesday that the UK was being hindered by the global shortage of chemical reagents needed for testing. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme: “The key thing to understand is it’s the swabs and the reagent shortages that is the problem.
The Chemical Industries Association cast doubt on that claim, saying there was no shortage of chemical ingredients. “I was talking to the largest trust, one of the largest trusts in the country this morning, who basically want to test many, many hundreds of their staff but they actually can’t because they’ve got a reagent shortage.
But a government spokesperson said: “There is a global shortage of components specific to testing kits used by the NHS and others around the world. “So all we’re saying is that trusts will go as fast as they can, but unless we can solve those swab and reagent shortages then there will be a natural capacity limit to how many tests we can do.”
“The prime minister and the health secretary are working with companies worldwide to ensure that we get the material we need to increase tests of all kinds.” Matt Hancock, the health secretary, gave an order on Tuesday night for all spare coronavirus tests to be used for NHS workers, as some initial figures suggested only a small proportion of those in isolation appear to be really sick with the virus.
Hopson also backed up the government, saying he recognised the view of chemical industry “but trust leaders tell us of major shortages of swabs and chemicals needed to complete tests”. Hancock, who is in isolation himself, removed the cap on NHS staff being allowed access to only 15% of testing capacity while 85% was reserved for patients.
“There is a global shortage. But everyone is doing everything they can to maximise supply,” he said. This has led to testing well below capacity for the past few days, but the Department of Health now hopes it will ramp up to more than 10,000 tests a day.
Hopson added: “We understand that if existing NHS pathology labs had unlimited swabs and reagent there is enough test machine capacity to process 100,000 tests a day but reagent and swab shortage is currently limiting this to 13,000 a day.” Hopson has highlighted “intriguing data from a very small sample size … only around 15% of those in 14-day isolation tested positive so the other 85% could come back to work”, which if “anything like right, is a huge opportunity”. Downing Street said it did not recognise those figures and suggested it would be better to wait for a wider sample size.
There is also some frustration inside Whitehall that Public Health England (PHE) has been too rigorous about sticking to its own centralised testing, before allowing it to be rolled out to more private labs around the country. There is also frustration inside Whitehall that Public Health England (PHE) has been too rigorous about sticking to its own centralised testing and verified processes, before allowing it to be rolled out to more private labs around the country.
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said the UK “needs a clear national testing strategy for community testing and contact tracing.” While the UK struggles to test NHS workers, experts have warned the country will need to widen its testing to the general public if it wants to ease lockdown measures, so it can ensure those infected strictly observe the quarantine.
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said the UK “needs a clear national testing strategy for community testing and contact tracing”.
He added: “If delays in scaling up testing is lack of relevant chemicals. Why is the chemical industry saying it could make them if asked? If it’s about Public Health England validation surely ministers can pull everyone together to hammer out an urgent solution?”He added: “If delays in scaling up testing is lack of relevant chemicals. Why is the chemical industry saying it could make them if asked? If it’s about Public Health England validation surely ministers can pull everyone together to hammer out an urgent solution?”
PHE has resisted the idea of a return to community testing – the practice of testing everyone who has symptoms so that live cases can be quarantined effectively.PHE has resisted the idea of a return to community testing – the practice of testing everyone who has symptoms so that live cases can be quarantined effectively.
The body is instead prioritising the need for an antibody test, showing who has already had the disease and therefore will be immune to it. However, this test has not yet been approved for use and there is a time lag of days before patients who have had coronavirus start showing the antibodies that prove they have been infected. PHE is instead prioritising the need for an antibody test, showing who has already had the disease and therefore will be immune to it. However, this test has not yet been approved for use and there is a time lag of days before patients who have had coronavirus start showing the antibodies that prove they have been infected.