Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2020 to Question 97002, on Coronavirus: Screening, what assessment has he made as to the effect of not having this data on (a) reducing the transmission of coronavirus, (b) patient care, (c) the effectiveness of the test and trace programme and (d) public confidence in the Government's coronavirus response.

We have made no such assessment.

Those being discharged from hospital following an inpatient admission should be tested if they are being discharged to other care settings, such as care homes or hospices. Patients being discharged to home are not routinely tested unless they are thought to have symptoms appropriate for testing.