[ad_1]
Image copyright
HoC
It will take “a matter of weeks” to resolve the problems related to coronavirus testing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
He told MPs that there had been a “sharp increase” in those seeking a test, “including those who are not eligible.”
Testing should be prioritized for those who need it most, including those in nursing homes, he said.
But shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said there was no evidence available on the virus’s “hot spots” over the weekend.
It comes after widespread reports of people struggling to get tested, with hospital bosses warning that a lack of testing for NHS workers was putting services at risk.
An increase in demand for coronavirus tests has caused local shortages, with some people being directed to testing sites hundreds of miles from their homes.
About 220,000 tests are processed each day, according to government figures released last week, with a testing capacity of more than 350,000, including swab tests and antibody tests. The goal is to increase that number to 500,000 a day by the end of October.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Hancock said there were “operational challenges” with the evidence that the government was “working hard” to fix.
He said that during the pandemic they had prioritized testing based on need.
“I don’t sidestep decisions on prioritization,” Hancock said.
“The top priority is and always has been acute clinical care. The next priority is social care, where we now send more than 100,000 tests a day because we have all seen the risks posed by this virus in nursing homes.”
Media playback is not supported by your device
Conservative Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee, Jeremy Hunt, was among the MPs who questioned Hancock about the tests, saying that several of his constituents had to travel for the tests, while another key worker had to wait a week for Your results.
“I think we can solve this problem in a matter of weeks,” Hancock responded.
“So we are managing to deliver record capacity, but as he well knows, the demand is also high and the answer to that is to make sure we have a prioritization so that the people who need it most can get the evidence they need.”
Downing Street acknowledged the “significant demand” for coronavirus testing, but said “the capacity is the highest it has ever been.”
‘Huge challenge’
Labor’s shadow health secretary, Ashworth, said Hancock was “losing control of this virus.”
“When schools reopen and people return to their workplaces and social distancing becomes more difficult, infections increase,” he said.
“So the additional demand on the system was unavoidable, so why didn’t you take advantage of the summer to significantly expand the capacity of the NHS laboratory and fix contact tracing?”
Responding, Hancock said: “I do not deny that it is a huge challenge and when you have a free service it is inevitable that the demand will increase.”
“The challenge is to make sure we prioritize the tests we have as a nation for those who need it most.”
Previously, Interior Minister Priti Patel told BBC Breakfast that the government was “increasing capacity” where it was needed.
“Clearly, there is a lot more work that needs to be done with Public Health England and the actual public health bodies in those particular local areas, and as a government we obviously work with Public Health England to increase where there is demand in critical local areas,” she said. .
Patel also said that England’s new ‘rule of six’ means families shouldn’t stop on the street to talk to friends.
