Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have made towards developing (1) rapid, and (2) accurate, PCR testing infrastructure to control infections and protect patients in (a) NHS, and (b) private hospitals.

In National Health Service hospitals, rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is in place to support the urgent testing of patients. Free symptomatic testing continues to be provided for patients in hospital for whom a test is required for clinical management or to support treatment pathways; individuals who live or work in high-risk closed settings in patient facing roles where infection needs to be identified quickly to minimise outbreaks; and individuals whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 who are eligible for anti-viral medication or other treatments. People in this group will be contacted directly and automatically receive tests for use should they have COVID-19 symptoms.

Hospitals also use rapid lateral flow device testing where appropriate, which can be used in emergency departments as part of the early decision assist test pathway. The UKHSA does not provide PCR testing to private hospitals as part of the testing regime.