WELSH Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Angela Burns AM, is severely concerned that Wales is dramatically falling behind testing of Covid19 as the contract, which was due to increase testing to 6,000 tests per day, has collapsed.
Currently there are only facilities to carry out 800 tests per day in Wales and the Welsh Government are now only predicting to be able to carry out 3,000 test daily by the end of April.
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In Wales the NHS directly employs more than 80,000 people, with many more tests being required for frontline staff in social care, GPs and pharmacists.
Angela Burns AM commented: "I'm deeply concerned by this turn of events. It is devastating that the contract has broken down but why did the Welsh Government not have a backup plan in place?
"Our frontline heroes from across the heath service in social care, pharmacists, GPs and hospitals - all these people will come into contact with people who have Covid-19 and we must make sure that they and the people they are treating are safe.
“The rest of the UK is in battle mode to defeat this awful virus. In Wales we need to make sure that we fully utilise the laboratories across Wales in private companies, universities and any other organisation that can help us to significantly ramp up testing and quickly."
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