Summary
The Covid inquiry revealed the UK government did not follow guidance from two Nobel-winning scientists to test all healthcare workers for coronavirus early in the pandemic. NHS and care home staff in England only began receiving Covid tests routinely in November 2020, months after the scientists' initial warning in April.
Key Facts
- In April 2020, scientists Sir Paul Nurse and Sir Peter Ratcliffe advised routine Covid testing for all healthcare workers in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
- NHS and care home staff in England were not routinely tested for Covid until November 2020.
- The scientists expressed concern over "asymptomatic transmission," meaning Covid could spread from people without symptoms.
- They received a response to their letter three months later, in July 2020, from a junior health official.
- The Frances Crick Institute, led by Sir Paul Nurse, offered to help with testing but the government opted for large privately-run labs instead.
- In March 2020, the institute began processing Covid tests with the capacity for up to 10,000 tests a day, if funded.
- The Covid inquiry's sixth part is reviewing the test, trace, and quarantine systems in the UK, running until May.
