Covid test kit disaster as 300000 go missing in latest problem with 50bn nightmare

Whitehall sources have alleged that the incident with supplier Kuehne and Nagal was part of a wider systemic problem with the test and trace system which it is claimed has now cost the taxpayer more than £50 billion. A Whitehall source has also suggested that hundreds of thousands of Covid tests may have been lost throughout this year.

A source in Public Health England has also claimed that the lack of tests “is one of the reasons so many people are having to self isolate at the moment.”

It is also understood that civil servants at the Department for Health discussed issuing dud tests which are unusable because their bar code has been used on another test to make up the numbers for the lost 300,000. However, this idea was quickly ditched.

The Sunday Express was told by a senior Conservative MP that concerns over the fiasco were also raised directly with health secretary Sajid Javid and care homes minister Helen Whately who have ordered an internal investigation.

Last night the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) described the loss of more than 300,000 tests was “an isolated incident”.

A spokeswoman said: â€œWe have strict protocols to ensure only tests that have met our rigorous standards are sent out.

“This isolated incident had no impact on people being able to obtain a test kit and anyone with symptoms has been able to get tested by attending a test site or ordering a test to their home.

“NHS Test and Trace is saving lives across the country by breaking chains of transmission and helping to stop COVID-19 outbreaks. Over 224 million tests have now been conducted, allowing us to detect positive cases and trace their contacts.”

A K and N spokesman said: “We are proud to work with the DSHC to ensure that NHS Test and Trace is meeting its requirements in these very challenging times. We treat quality assurance and quality control as being of the highest importance.”

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