Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will support the creation of guidance to standardise the use in Emergency Departments of rapid-PCR testing for respiratory illnesses during future winters, in light of COVID-19.

We have no plans to do so as a standardised approach may not be viable in each emergency department. However, screening, triaging and testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus will continue to be practiced in emergency departments based on a clinician’s individual assessment.

Organisations and employers should include testing as part of the infection prevention and control (IPC) risk mitigation strategy at times of increased infection prevalence. The choice of test, how and when these are deployed and whether confirmatory testing is required should form part of the local IPC policy for accident and emergency departments and admissions.