• Registered carers looking after people in their own homes will be able to access weekly coronavirus tests
• Care providers will be able to book tests for their staff online from Monday (23 November)
• The roll-out marks the next stage in the government’s expansion of mass testing

Those working for CQC-registered providers will receive weekly PCR tests to administer at home, which will help identify more asymptomatic cases and protect care users who are more vulnerable to the virus.

Regular testing will give workers peace of mind by picking up on any asymptomatic transmission and protect those they care for.

The expansion of testing to homecare workers is the next phase in the roll-out of mass testing across the country, and has been made possible by the huge increase in testing capacity in recent weeks. Nearly 35 million tests have now been processed in the UK since the service began and this week the government announced 2 new ‘megalabs’, which will add a further 600,000 to daily UK testing capacity in early 2021.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said:

Homecare workers have been doing an incredible job throughout the pandemic, caring day in and day out and going the extra mile to keep people they care for safe from COVID.

As our testing capacity continues to expand, I’m glad we’re able to take this next step and make regular testing available to homecare workers. Now, as well as having PPE, homecare workers will be able to take a weekly test to check they do not have coronavirus.

We now have the largest testing capacity in Europe, so we’re using this to protect those who are at greater risk if they catch COVID.

Proactively testing asymptomatic individuals helps to identify those who unknowingly have the virus and enables those who test positive and their contacts to self-isolate. This is crucial to break the chains of transmission of the virus.

All registered homecare agencies will be contacted with details of how to apply for test kits for their carers next week. Homecare agencies will be responsible for ordering and distributing tests to all homecare workers for them to conduct at home on a weekly basis, testing on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. This approach will maximise capacity available in our laboratories.

We will be expanding testing further to all other homecare workers, including live-in carers and personal assistants in a phased roll-out. We will provide further details in due course about how these groups access testing.

A month’s worth of test kits will be delivered to care providers directly who can distribute tests to their staff using the same channels used to distribute PPE.

Over 120,000 tests are already ring-fenced for social care every single day, and a testing pilot has begun in care homes this week to support visiting ahead of a national roll-out starting in December.

Work is also currently being carried out to explore making the rapid 30-minute lateral flow tests, currently only conducted by dedicated trained personnel, available for self-administration at home. This would allow workers to quickly find out if they are COVID-19 positive and have to isolate.

Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection Baroness Dido Harding said:

NHS Test and Trace has worked tirelessly to increase capacity for testing, achieving its target of capacity for 500,000 tests by the end of October. This is testament to a huge amount of work up and down the country by unsung heroes in labs, distribution centres, test centres and manufacturing plants.

I am delighted that this capacity means that we can now roll out regular, weekly testing to our domiciliary care staff. This has long been a priority for us and it will ensure greater protection to this vital, often unseen, workforce and the people they care for.

Our approach to testing health and care workers is guided by the latest scientific advice, which finds that regular testing of people without symptoms can be most effective among populations where prevalence is higher and where individuals are more at risk from coronavirus.

The government continues to expand asymptomatic testing for COVID-19, with the roll-out of lateral flow test kits across schools, universities and local authorities, and whole-area pilots in Liverpool and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.

This expansion in testing is the latest measure the government has introduced as part of wider ongoing support throughout the pandemic.

The government has made £4.6 billion available to councils in England so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care, on top of a £1.1 billion Infection Control Fund and free PPE supply for care homes and domiciliary care.

See the guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for homecare workers.

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, a member of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy Council and former CEO of Virgin Money, is to become the new chair of the HMRC Board.

She replaces Mervyn Walker, who is stepping down at the end of December 2020 after 6 years on the board, including the last 3 as lead non-executive director and chair.

Jayne-Anne is the founder and executive chair of Snoop, a household financial management app, and was CEO of Virgin Money from 2007 to 2018.

A chartered accountant, she spent 6 years at Norwich Union (now Aviva) before becoming one of the founders of Virgin Direct in 1995. Three years later, she set up the Virgin One account, which was acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2001. She subsequently spent 5 years at the Royal Bank of Scotland before returning to Virgin as CEO of Virgin Money.

In 2016 she was appointed the UK government’s Women in Finance Champion, and in 2017 she became a founder member of its Business Diversity and Inclusion Group. She is chair of the Prince’s Foundation and a trustee of the Tate.

She also sits on the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board. She was made a Dame in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list.

HMRC Chief Executive Jim Harra said:

I would like to thank Mervyn for his outstanding contribution to the leadership of HMRC. He has been a tremendous influence on the strategic direction of HMRC throughout his time with us and has always challenged us to keep the needs of our customers at the heart of all we do. His personal help to me as Chief Executive has been invaluable.

Drawing on her deep experience in leading transformative change within the finance sector, Jayne-Anne will help steer HMRC towards our vision of becoming a trusted, modern tax and customs authority.

Jayne-Anne has extensive experience working with the public sector and I have no doubt she will provide HMRC with the proactive support and challenge that we need.

Dame Jayne-Anne said:

I’m delighted to be taking on the role of chairing the HMRC Board and building on the excellent work of my predecessor, Mervyn Walker. We’ve seen just how pivotal HMRC has been during the pandemic, as a force of economic support.

While there will continue to be many challenges, I’m confident there are also many opportunities for the department to deliver against its ambitious strategy as a tax and customs department, fit for the future.

The Shared History Fund is part of the Government’s New Decade, New Approach commitments around marking the centenary of Northern Ireland in a spirit of mutual respect, inclusiveness and reconciliation. The Fund criteria have been developed to encourage applications from a diverse range of organisations who wish to facilitate wider public engagement with this significant national anniversary in innovative and creative ways. The funding will be distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is available to organisations across the UK. It will support the work of arts, heritage, voluntary, community and other non-profit organisations, many of whom have faced significant funding challenges as a result of the COVID pandemic.

The creation of Northern Ireland paved the way for the formation of the United Kingdom as we know it today – it is a moment of profound national significance. This anniversary represents a key milestone in the Decade of Centenaries and provides an opportunity to reflect on our shared history in a respectful and inclusive way.

Speaking ahead of today’s announcement, Robin Walker MP, Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, said:

I am delighted that we are able to fulfil our New Decade, New Approach commitment by launching this Shared History Fund.

I want to encourage as many groups as possible, from many different perspectives, to get involved in this important project marking the centenary of Northern Ireland. Whether you are a small local community group or a larger heritage institution, this is an exciting opportunity to explore our history, learn from each other and discover untold stories.

It is also an opportunity to support non-profit organisations in their valuable work.

Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

We are pleased to be distributing this Fund on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office to mark the centenary of the establishment of Northern Ireland.

We recognise that dealing with contested heritage can be challenging but it’s also important that this significant period is marked, and is inclusive of the many communities and individuals it has impacted. As we approach this important date in our history, we have an opportunity to reflect honestly about our past, and explore how the events of 1921, and afterwards, impacted on people in many different ways.

We hope that all initiatives will embrace that opportunity, and we’re looking forward to supporting a diverse range of projects and organisations through this Fund.

Organisations can apply for funding from today. Detailed criteria and guidance can be found here

Notes for Editors:

• New Decade New Approach is the agreement underpinning the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland which was announced in January 2020.

• The Decade of Centenaries is a term widely used to refer to the period 2012-2022, which includes many significant national anniversaries for both the UK and Ireland.