Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether lateral flow tests carried out at home and reported to the NHS are included in the total daily covid-19 infections statistics; and whether those test results are included on the figures given for people tested positive data section on the UK’s Summary on Coronavirus on GOV.UK.

Lateral flow device (LFD) tests reported through the National Testing Programme digital infrastructure are included in the daily statistics. If a LFD test is not registered digitally, it is not included. The data presented on the dashboard includes all de-duplicated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results; in England, positive rapid LFD tests that are not followed by a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours; and in Northern Ireland, all positive rapid LFD tests.

Cases for Scotland and Wales do not include those identified by LFD tests at present. Public Health Scotland is planning to incorporate this data. There are no plans to include this data in Wales.