Because most British-made lateral flow test kits have been rejected by the UK authorities, the government is now relying upon Chinese suppliers.
Reports suggest that despite millions of pounds being invested to establish a leading testing program in the UK and a number of other benefits, there is only one British manufacturer who has developed a quick test that meets UK standards.
Sunday Times reported that many British businesses are disappointed that their test results have failed to meet UK standards despite being approved for European use.
According to the newspaper, Omega Diagnostics (based in Stirling) and Global Access Diagnostics (based in Bedford), have made testing kits that didn’t meet regulations and therefore, no orders were placed by government agencies.
Both companies were in receipt of government funding after signing contracts in March 2021, the Sunday Times reports, and it is understood the Government is now asking for £2.5million to be repaid by Omega.
It has been claimed that the Chinese are now providing lateral flow testing kit suppliers to the government because many British companies haven’t been approved for UK use.
Flowflex, a Chinese-made test, has been approved by the UK.
New regulations introduced in November required that tests be conducted in the UK in order to obtain approval for the Coronavirus Test Device Approvals. This has caused delays in approval.
Tim Peto is a professor of medicine at Oxford University, is on the committee that checks Porton Down’s assessments of tests.
He told the Times: ‘Some of the English manufacturers are very unhappy their kits have failed and some of them think that they’ve been unfairly tested. I don’t know on what grounds they think it’s unfair other than it came out negative.’
British-made testing equipment is being imported because it cannot be certified in this country.
According to The Times, the main providers of NHS lateral flow test kits are Chinese companies Orient Gene (made by Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech) and FlowFlex (made by Acon Biotech). They are both more skilled in producing lateral flow testing kit on a large-scale than British companies.
This comes just a few months after the government was criticized for having a severe shortage of test kits during the Christmas period.
People struggled to obtain kits despite ministers telling their families and friends to test before they socialized over Christmas or New Year.
The delivery of home test results was often suspended on the Government’s website, while appointments to perform PCR tests in person were frequently booked.
Orient Gene Biotech from China is one of the UK’s two approved producers.
SureScreen has the distinction of being the only British manufacturer to be approved for government testing
The Government was urged to supply more medicines as pharmacists claim they are being made to abandon customers due to lack of stocks.
The UK Health Security Agency responded to backlash by claiming that it has increased its ability to deliver 900,000.00 testing kits per day.
Sir Roger Gale was the Conservative MP for North Thanet. He said that he received a message from Health Secretary stating there was a shortage of supplies.
MailOnline heard from him last week that it had been a problem with delivery, but now there is a problem both in supply and delivery.
‘[Sajid Javid]He was honest and direct about the matter. He claimed that the global shortage of lateral flows tests is very real.
North Thanet MP said that “The British company producing them has increased its production by 4x and is now producing 20million per week rather than five million.” All those are being bought by the Brits, along with any other products, as we face stiff competition on a global marketplace.
Last week, pharmacists urged the government to stock more lateral flow test kits. They claimed that they are being made to leave people behind because of a lack.
Derby-based SureScreen Diagnostics, which was officially launched in September, is the only British approved supplier of lateral flow device.
Government supported the company by stating that the Midlands-based firm had created over 370 jobs and has the ability to produce 7million test per week. Plans are to raise this figure to 14 million before December ends.
According to the UKHSA, “In building the largest UK diagnostic industry, we have produced 400 million tests since then. This has been a crucial role in fighting the spread of Covid-19.”
The expertise of the ‘NHS Test and Trace team has been drawn from both public and private sector sectors. All contracts have been awarded according to transparency and procurement guidelines.
“SureScreen is a British company that has promised to supply 20 million lateral flow test kits.”