[ad_1]
A “budget cap” on coronavirus testing means that NHS hospitals in England are faced with paying for them from their own budgets unless they get approval. The limit was set on the amount of money available for testing for patients and staff, based on information sent to the trusts.
The guide, first reported by The Independent, makes clear that NHS providers will need formal approval from the Department of Health and Social Care and its test and trace service or they will not be able to claim the costs, which will be funded in a ” limited actual database “and have a” maximum budget “.
The document was reportedly sent out on Friday, a day after the NHS head of testing and tracing, Dido Harding, told MPs that demand was up to four times greater than testing capacity.
Niall Dickson, Executive Director of the NHS Confederation, said: “We need to understand all the implications of this policy change and it may have some merits. But the public’s trust in testing and tracking has already been undermined and anything that introduces further delays for staff and patients will certainly raise more concerns. “
The NHS England guidance, which has been confirmed to be accurate, said: “The tests are now overseen by DHSC’s NHS Test and Trace service, and the NHS will be funded by the government for Covid-19 testing services on the basis of limited real data. This means that, for a clear set of deliverables, there is a maximum budget, with funding up to that maximum for the actual costs incurred by NHS providers.
“NHS providers who have not been commissioned to provide the service should not perform tests without formal approval and will not be able to access funds to reimburse the costs incurred for establishing tests not approved by the DHSC NHS Test and Trace service.”
The government is still under fire from the NHS Test and Trace system, and experts warn that without effective testing and tracing it will be much more difficult to control the spread of the virus and detect larger outbreaks.
Well-designed and well-resourced testing regimens have the potential to reduce the reproduction rate of Covid-19 (the R number) by up to 26%, according to a study by Imperial College.
A DHSC spokeswoman said: “The capacity of the NHS laboratories is already being used to test hospital staff and patients, and significant funding has been committed to ensure that people who need the tests receive them.
“Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have prioritized testing for healthcare workers and hospital staff who can access a test through their trust. We are increasing capacity and Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has already confirmed that the top priority for testing is acute clinical care. “
