Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department monitors in advance of adding or removing a company from the Government's approved list of providers for covid-19 testing.
Private testing providers must meet the minimum standards for COVID-19 testing services for international arrivals, including being at the relevant stage of United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) process. The minimum standards are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/testing-on-day-2-and-day-8-for-international-arrivals
Laboratories are required to show that they meet minimum standards before delivering testing. This evidence is assessed by UKAS at ‘stage one’, laboratories or their partner providers who evidence they meet standards are added to the GOV.UK list. UKAS accreditation provides an assurance of the competence, impartiality and integrity of laboratories.