I have been contacted regarding fake reports that Conservative MPs voted against regular testing of NHS staff.
To be very clear, I am not against regular testing of NHS staff. I am in favour of NHS staff testing policy as advised by the Chief Medical Officer.
The Shadow Health Secretary in his opening remarks at yesterday’s opposition debate said Labour are calling for weekly testing of NHS staff, “if necessary”. But “if necessary” was not in the wording of their motion, which instead called for blanket weekly testing without any qualification.
Regular testing, including weekly testing if it is deemed necessary, is essentially what the current government policy is and I will continue to support this clinically-informed approach.