Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate the Government has made of the level of risk of incorrect negative covid-19 test results due to ineffective application of swabs to the (a) throat and (b) nose; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce that risk.

International peer reviewed evidence, and real-world assessments from the Department’s testing programme has shown that swab tests taken by non-clinically trained individuals are just as effective as those taken by clinicians. The Department has clear guidance included with all self testing swab kits and material on GOV.uk and a video guide on Youtube detailing the process of self-swabbing.