Coronavirus: Screening

(asked on 28th April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to deliver widespread testing of NHS staff and patients; and whether he has set a target date for that delivery.


Answered by
Nadine Dorries Portrait
Nadine Dorries
This question was answered on 27th August 2020

In March we began swab testing National Health Service patients and staff for COVID-19. Since then we have continuously expanded testing capacity, in line with our national testing strategy to control the virus and save lives.

We are now testing people who need elective surgery before being admitted, on top of testing patients already in hospital.

NHS staff are prioritised for testing should they exhibit symptoms. In line with Chief Medical Officer guidance, asymptomatic staff are tested in situations where there was an untoward incident, outbreak, or high prevalence of the virus. Asymptomatic staff are also being periodically tested as part of Public Health England’s SIREN study.

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