Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of NHS and UKHSA laboratory surge capacity for testing suspected human infections with avian influenza in 2025–26.

While specific surge-throughput figures for 2025/26 are not published, the Department, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and NHS England continue to work together to ensure sufficient laboratory capacity, clear escalation routes, and rapid confirmatory testing for suspected human infections.

Where avian influenza is clinically suspected, testing is delivered through National Health Service medical microbiology services across England’s pathology networks, with confirmatory testing undertaken within the UKHSA’s laboratory system.

The UKHSA is the Government’s standing capability for developing and delivering diagnostic testing for emerging infectious diseases. Molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the primary method for detecting avian influenza A in human samples. Building on the capability scaled during the COVID-19 response, much of the PCR infrastructure, such as analyser platforms and containment spaces, and some of the workforce resilience has been retained across NHS laboratories, with further efforts under way to enhance resilience specifically within the UKHSA’s laboratory network, some of which are shared facilities with the NHS.

The UKHSA is currently developing additional capacity at Porton Down and other UKHSA laboratories. This aims to surge capacity to 25,000 PCR tests per day within a six-week timeframe. The UKHSA also has 47,600 multiplex lateral flow device tests available, which test for influenza A, influenza B, and COVID-19, with a further stock of 49,950 undergoing quality control.