Jeremy Hunt attacks government over lack of Covid tests for NHS staff

Former health secretary fears full testing will be delayed 'until second wave is finished’

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has attacked the government over a lack of coronavirus testing for NHS staff.

Citing concerns over the spread of Covid-19 among staff and patients within hospitals, Mr Hunt hit out after the government sent an “inadequate” response to a recommendation that all NHS staff be routinely tested regardless of whether they show symptoms.  

Following pleas from hospital workers, backed by leading scientists, the Health and Social Care Committee of MPs — which Mr Hunt now chairs — recommended to the government more than one month ago that all NHS staff be routinely tested every week.

In response, Professor Chris Whitty, the government's chief scientific adviser, and Professor Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said routine testing is not planned to take place until December, meaning what could prove a crucial measure of control will not be employed as hospital staff are forced deal with a surge in cases so severe as to have led to an nationwide lockdown.

A report presented to the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) found nosocomical transmission (that which occurs within hospitals) accounted for between 10 and 22 per cent of infections in all Covid-19 patients at the height of the first wave.  

Mr Hunt said in his response to professors Whitty and Powis: “I am gravely concerned that we may be about to make the same mistake regarding nosocomical infections and let the virus spread through our healthcare system.”

He went on to reference a statement made by Prof Whitty in July, when he told MPs: “If there was a big surge I would be absolutely in favour of going for regular testing."

Mr Hunt said: “We are now facing that surge and yet it appears we will delaying rollout of this vital measure until after the second wave is finished.”

The Independent has approached Jeremy Hunt for further comment.

Plans had been in place to test all NHS staff in high risk areas under the tier system, which has since given way to a nationwide lockdown.

The Health and Social Care Committee asked the government and NHS England to set out what they required to implement routine testing of all staff, outlining the “compelling case” for doing so  in a report published on 1 October.

Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, was quoted in the committee’s report telling MPs: “It has to be blanket testing, we know that a significant number of people are asymptomatic.

”Therefore, just testing those who are symptomatic will leave a whole pile of transmission going on that we will not get on top of. 

"It needs to be random and frequent.“