Scotland’s ‘missed’ tests nearly double

THE number of Scotland’s “missed” daily tests has nearly doubled since Nicola Sturgeon said the ability to screen had been ramped up in preparation for the national Test and Protect scheme.

The Herald revealed there were at least 70,906 “missed” tests in the two weeks before the First Minister outlined her test, trace and isolate strategy last week – at a rate of at least 5,064 a day.

But since it was announced on Tuesday that capacity had increased to 15,000 a day, official figures show the nation has been testing at an average rate of 5,223 a day.

That means, while the number of tests has risen slightly, the average number of “missed” tests has risen to 9,777 a day.

The data will lead to new concerns over the nation’s ability to properly implement the new test-trace-and-isolate strategy.

The First Minister said in ushering in the new philosophy that it would see testing on a scale never seen before in Scotland.

Before her announcement, analysis of official figures showed that in the previous 14-day period, 72,720 tests were carried out across

Scotland in all settings, including hospitals, care homes or the community, including checks at regional and drive-through centres operated by the UK Government.

But the Scottish Government had ramped the ability to deal with tests – referred to as capacity – to carry out at least double that number as calls continue to be made for better and more checks of health care workers as well as improved ability to screen the community.

The 15,000 tests a day are carried out by a combination of NHS labs, universities, the Scottish Blood Transfusion Service and the UK Government’s Lighthouse lab in Glasgow.

The Scottish Tories said Ms Sturgeon’s pledge on testing would be “meaningless” unless the Government made full use of capacity, after previously failing to do so.

On Friday there were 5,472 tests carried out in all settings, over 1,000 less than the most test carried out in any one day in recent weeks. That was on April 20 when 6518 tests were carried out – before Scotland’s ability to screen was ramped up to the new Test and Protect levels.