Fears delays over care home coronavirus testing putting staff and residents at risk

  • Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Dani Crawshaw

Care homes in the Anglia region have criticised a change in testing policy that they say will put both staff and residents at risk.

The government had hoped to do regular testing in all care homes by the end of last month but that date was missed and replaced by September when the hope is that the new 90 minute Covid test will be widely available.

The government blamed rising demand and "unexpected delays" for problems in providing coronavirus testing for care home staff and residents.

Care homes in the region fear that a change in testing policy will put both staff and residents at risk. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Downing Street insisted testing in care homes had not stopped but acknowledgedthat progress had not be as quick as had been hoped. Health Secretary and West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock suggested new tests, which can provide results in 90 minutes, could increase capacity.

The Labour MP for Cambridge, Daniel Zeichner said he was disappointed by the changes: "It was clearly working in an area like this, where there was local testing going on, but then the government directed that the testing had to be done through the government system and that is proving less effective.

University of Cambridge consultant virologist Dr Chris Smith said: "As the World Health Organisation says the answer to all this is to test, test, test."

"If we know where the virus is, you know where to focus your efforts."

The problems in care homes have been blamed on issues identified in Randoxtests in mid-June.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Care home testing has notstopped.

"Any care home resident or member of staff with symptoms can immediatelyaccess a free test and we are continuing to roll out asymptomatic regulartesting, for staff and residents, to care homes.

"However, due to rising demand across testing and some unexpected delays suchas the pause on the use of Randox kit, we've not been able to reach all carehomes as quickly as we'd hoped."