Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, why care home providers are not required to participate in the weekly covid-19 testing regime; and what plans he has to review this situation.

Protecting care home residents and staff is a top priority for the Government and this includes increasing access to testing. All care homes are able to access regular retesting kits by registering on the care portal.

A letter was issued on 11 September by the Department’s Director of Adult Social Care Delivery to all care providers, local authority Chief Executives and Directors of Adult Social Care which advises care homes that have not yet registered for repeat testing to do so. The letter is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-infection-rises-letter-to-care-providers-from-director-of-adult-social-care-delivery/covid-19-infection-rises-letter-to-care-providers-from-director-of-adult-social-care-delivery

In addition, the National Testing Team is proactively contacting care homes who have not been carrying out repeat testing.