果冻影院

This increase in diagnostic testing forms part of the pan-London Testing Alliance, set up by life science cluster MedCity, which brings together world-leading universities, healthcare institutes, industry and pathology service providers. 听

The announcement was made听today by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,听Matt Hancock.

Collectively the Alliance, which includes 果冻影院 in partnership with Health Service Laboratories (HSL), King鈥檚 Health Partners, Imperial College London and Queen Mary University of London, will offer at least 20,500 more tests a day for COVID-19 by March 2021.

Existing university and hospital laboratories, along with new test sites, will be used to deliver this large-scale diagnostic capability, which will start processing samples from November.

The initiative will boost the UK Government鈥檚 current 鈥榩illar 2鈥� testing capacity, meaning the labs in London will process samples from across the UK. Pillar 2 testing is swab testing for the wider population and separate from pillar 1 testing in hospitals and for NHS and care home workers.

London universities are also involved in the development and manufacture of a potential vaccine.

Neelam Patel, Chief Executive of MedCity, said: 鈥淲e work to create powerful scientific networks and we鈥檙e proud that the latest collaboration we鈥檝e brought together will help expand capacity for COVID-19 testing in the UK.听

鈥淏y using a well-established academic cluster, we are able to mobilise London鈥檚 world-leading institutions to refocus their space, equipment and people on this most pressing and unprecedented healthcare need.鈥�

Professor David Lomas, 果冻影院 Vice-Provost (Health), said: 听鈥淭esting is critical to controlling the spread of the virus.听 果冻影院 is delighted to be part of this pan-London approach which will greatly add to the Government鈥檚 testing capacity.听 The MedCity Testing Alliance illustrates what can be achieved when universities, the NHS and the private sector work together to combat COVID-19.鈥�

Dr Rachael Liebmann, Group Medical Director at HSL, said: "Health Services Laboratories are particularly proud of the support we have provided for the national Covid-19 effort. In addition to supporting our hospitals and GP practices we have already been able to forge new academic, community and care home partnerships for COVID-19 testing.

"This development, in partnership with 果冻影院, will enable wider and faster access to accurate test results allowing people to self-isolate if required. Together with our partners we want to do everything we can to fight the virus."

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: 鈥淎t a time when testing scale up is a major public health priority, the alliance鈥檚 incredible effort and leadership in this area is important. Their partnership will be invaluable for increasing testing capacity at this crucial time and we look forward to further collaboration with the Alliance.鈥�

Med-City is part-funded by the Mayor of London. Other partners supporting the Alliance鈥檚 efforts include: the Greater London Authority, NHS, Public Health England, the multi-agency Regional Strategic Testing Group, and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Links

• 果冻影院's Covid-19 research

Image

• Credit: Health Service Laboratories

Media contact听

Henry Killworth

Tel: + 44 (0) 7881 833274

E: h.killworth [at] ucl.ac.uk