Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of each covid-19 PCR test (a) administered at a testing centre or other NHS setting, (b) self-administered at home and (c) overall.

The cost to the NHS Test and Trace (NHSTT) of each COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test varies with a few factors including which lab the sample is processed at and releasing this information would disadvantage us in contract negotiations with current and new suppliers.

The National Health Service budget has not funded PCR testing. PCR testing is provided by the NHS Test and Trace team using a separate budget administered through the Department. The breakdown of the audited NHS Test and Trace expenditure for the 2020/2021 financial year will be published as part of the Department’s 2020-21 Annual Report and Accounts.