“But I took the decision that the priority has to be patients for whom test results could be the difference between life or death.”
Northampton General Hospital sent samples from 1413 staff to the German labs of Eurofins Biomnis on Monday. Results were returned on Wednesday.
Kettering General Hospital and Northamptonshire Healthcare have also been invited to take part.
A source said: “PHE said they’d be able to get results back within 70 hours but they don’t have the capacity for that turnaround. ”
Mr Hancock admitted the Government had made mistakes during the crisis. But he said he had listened to all complaints to “work out what we can do better”. He said the goal of , 15 tests a day would be made up of both checks for current infection, as well as antibody tests to see whether people have previously had the killer bug. Mr Hancock has just recovered from Covid – , and said his time off ill has “redoubled my determination to fight this virus with everything I’ve got”. Yesterday the UK daily death toll rose to a new grim high of
There were 4, (new infections on Thursday – more than a) per cent jump from the previous day’s 3, . Plans are being drawn up to issue people with immunity certificates Once the antibody tests are ready for roll-out.
(5) It comes as Matt Hancock faced criticism over Britain’s failure to catch up (Credit: AFP
(5) Northampton General Hospital sent samples from 657 staff to German labs Eurofins Biomnis and received the results just two days later Credit: Getty
I took the decision that the priority has to be patients for whom test results could be the difference between life or death
Matt Hancock
Eurofins refused to confirm if it had a deal with the NHS but it has plans to expand testing.
It said: “We could partner with the NHS to create very significant capacity for the UK.”
Northampton General said it had a long-standing relationship to ship some checks abroad.
PHE’s Prof Paul Cosford said everybody involved was unhappy the UK had not scaled-up checks quicker.
He said testing would imminently hit , per day.
PHE admitted its West Midlands lab, nearest to Northampton General, had experienced some challenges.
A spokesperson said it was now running at full capacity, with most tests being completed within hours.
It comes as ten Samba machines that can diagnose Covid – in less than minutes are used at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
Scientists claim Britain’s testing crisis can be solved by “little boat” science labs.
Sir Paul Nurse, head of the Francis Crick Institute, said his lab could soon be checking 2, (staff a day.)
University and private sector labs are also ready to chip in.
Sir Paul said: “A metaphor here is Dunkirk. We are a lot of little boats and can be effective. ”
Meanwhile, Chessington, in Surrey, was closed for lunch from 1 pm-2pm as guards stood chatting.
Two out of its four testing tents were in use.
Nurse Clare Beer, , has had symptoms but was able to be checked there.
She said: “It’s been a nightmare. I’ve sent mails all week and only now I’ve got my appointment. ”
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