[Smithy]

The government has changed the way it is counting the number of covid-19 tests carried out in a bid to hit its target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of April, HSJ can reveal.

Previously, a test would be counted once the sample had been processed in laboratories. But this definition has been changed in the last few days, a senior source told HSJ.

The Department of Health and Social Care is now including tests that have been posted or delivered to people’s homes in its figures. This means tests which are sent to people are counted before the recipient has provided and returned their sample to a laboratory.

HSJ understands that up to 50,000 of the tests that will be reported as having taken place on 30 April will actually represent the mailing or the agreeing to mail a home testing kit.

In the last seven days (23-30 April) the number of tests reported by the government rose from 23,560 to 81,611.

The source told HSJ that work to achieve the 100,000 tests per day had been “manic” and that the health and social care secretary Matt Hancock was “obsessed” with reaching the target. “They are trying every trick in the book,” the source said.

“They had to get the permanent secretary at DHSC (Chris Wormald) to agree to a change in the counting process.

“We’re now counting a home test as tests which have been sent to people’s homes.”

Testing for covid-19 has been predominantly carried out under two of Mr Hancock’s five “pillars”, within the government’s testing strategy.

These are tests at laboratories run by Public Health England and NHS hospitals (Pillar One) and swab tests at dozens of community sites across the UK (Pillar Two), with the latter including the posting of home testing kits and deliveries by companies such as Amazon.

HSJ understands around 27,000 home tests were posted to people yesterday as part of pillar two work. They will form part of today’s testing figures which are yet to be published.

HSJ’s source said: “The view is that is unsustainable. It was just a massive one-day mission on the part of Amazon and the Royal Mail”.

HSJ understands the number of home test kits that have been returned by Amazon this week is about one one third of the number posted.

Meanwhile, the government has recently announced two testing programmes under Pillar Four, which will eventually include hundreds of thousands of people.

One of the programmes, announced on Wednesday and led by Imperial College, Imperial College Health Healthcare Trust and polling company Ipsos Mori, will see 100,000 home testing kits sent to people across the country.

HSJ understands around 25,000 home testing kits were posted to people yesterday through this scheme. On Wednesday, only 1,150 tests under Pillar Four had been carried out.

The other Pillar Four programme, announced on 23 April, aims to track coronavirus in the general population and is led by the DHSC and Office for National Statistics, with the help of University of Oxford, data science company IQVIA UK and the National Biosample Centre in Milton Keynes.

Testing figures for yesterday will be announced later today

Shock

[Denver]

So we cant count home testing being labour supporters dont want it to be counted

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

So we cant cont hope testing being labour supporters dont want it to be counted

Do you ever proof read your posts? Half of them never make sense

Not too sure why you’re trying to clock me when yet again the government bend the rules to make themselves look better

[Liam-]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

So we cant cont hope testing being labour supporters dont want it to be counted

If I say that I’m going to beat Mike Tyson, it can’t just be counted as a dub for me without me actually beating him can it?

Counting a verbal promise as an action taken is purposely misleading and deceitful

[The Slim Reaper]

Originally Posted by Liam-

If I say that I’m going to beat Mike Tyson, it can’t just be counted as a dub for me without me actually beating him can it?

Counting a verbal promise as an action taken is purposely misleading and deceitful

Only if labour supporters agree, apparently.

[Liam-]

Originally Posted by The Slim Reaper

Only if labour supporters agree, apparently.

‘Don’t make this political!!’
‘God, Labour supporters wanting people to die, disgusting! Corbyn’s fault!’

[Liam-]

‘Trust us’ they say

[Denver]

Also why are the left expecting people with symptoms to leave their homes get on public transport to go to a testing centre

[Denver]

Home testing is an important part of testing

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

Home testing is an important part of testing

It is, but sending 40,000 tests in the post is not the same as those tests being carried out on the same day

[Denver]

You cant expect people to go if they are ill or unable to get there or simply have work at that time

[Liam-]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

You cant expect people to go if they are ill or unable to get there or simply have work at that time

Of course not, but the government shouldn’t count them as being tested when they haven’t been, to make themselves look good

[Denver]

Labour supporters will never being happy despite benefitting more from this then they would under labour

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

Labour supporters will never being happy despite benefitting more from this then they would under labour

This is nothing to do with labour stick the topic at hand and stop trying to cause an argument

[The Slim Reaper]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

Labour supporters will never being happy despite benefitting more from this then they would under labour

This. Is. Insane.

[bots]

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

Sums it up nicely.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

Think you’ll find it’s just Adam

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

Only one (Adam) has brought politics into the thread.

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

Yes it seems that way.

[MTVN]

The 120k tests figure does include 40k where they haven't got the result back yet but the test has still been despatched and what's really important is having the capacity to do that many tests. The 100k target was always fairly arbitrary really, it was just that the government needed to massively ramp up its testing and they have done that increasing it by ten times what it was only 3 or 4 weeks ago

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

Except, that's you making it political by believing the government is beyond reproach and people have ulterior motives for having genuine concerns.

I'd understand this viewpoint if the criticisms were silly, but they're not.

[DouglasS]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

So many contributors to this thread are purely being political. That tells me that the government are doing a good job because people don't seem to give a crap about the virus anymore and are only interested in bashing the government

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by WickedSkengMan

Labour supporters will never being happy despite benefitting more from this then they would under labour

Can always count on Adam for a laugh.

[Denver]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Can always count on Adam for a laugh.

Maybe learn that the government is part of politics