Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the pathology laboratory at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital is not being used for COVID-19 testing.

In line with the Lord Carter of Coles report furthering the modernisation of pathology services, a network approach supporting the consolidation and integration of laboratory testing continues to progress. The networked approach has enabled the pathology services across England to stand up significant testing capability rapidly.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust host the microbiology hub and provide COVID-19 testing for the hospitals within its management, including Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.