Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which organisations are responsible for the carrying out of covid-19 tests in care homes of residents and staff; and what changes have been made to the testing processes of those organisations in the last month.

Public Health England (PHE) and the Department are working closely together to respond to outbreaks of COVID-19 in care homes.

PHE's health protection teams (HPTs) play a vital role locally in responding to any outbreak in care homes, providing tailored infection control advice to allow staff to protect themselves and their residents. From the outset, HPTs have been arranging testing for residents when an outbreak is reported at a particular care home.

The Department is offering a test to every staff member and resident in every care home in England, whether symptomatic or not. By 6 June, every care home for the over 65s will have been offered testing for residents and staff.