Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 23 February 2022 to Question 125137 on Coronavirus: Screening, what number of validated PCR tests is in use in the NHS.

Currently there are nine validated polymerase chain reaction tests used in the National Health Service as follows:

- Abbott Alinity m SARS-COV-2 assay;

- Abbott m2000 real time SARS-COV-2 assay;

- Life Technologies (ThermoFisher) TaqPath Covid assay;

- Hologic Panther Aptima SARS-COV-2 assay;

- Cepheid GeneXpert;

- Roche Cobas Liat;

- DNA Nudge;

- PrimerDesign PROmate; and

- Roche Cobas.

Since 31 December 2021, we no longer nationally procure DNA Nudge. From 31 March 2022 we will no longer nationally procure Primer Design PROmate. NHS trusts may also locally procure tests which would undergo local validation and verification before use, as part of their ISO 15189 accreditation.