RE: What did the AGM tell us31 Oct 2023 11:20
"On 30 July 2020, DHSC entered into a £106 million contract with ONT (exclusive of VAT) for
the supply of LamPORE testing technology, a swab or saliva test for COVID-19. Responsibility
for management of the contract transferred to the UK Health Security Agency on 1 October
2021.
Although both NHS England and Public Health Scotland had expressed interest in LamPORE,
following a pilot phase both subsequently decided that they had no future anticipated testing
requirement for LamPORE, as they were well served with other technologies. In the
circumstances DHSC no longer needed all of the test capacity and terminated the contract."
"The ONT contract was awarded at an early stage of the pandemic when the testing
infrastructure was being set up at pace and various technologies were being trialled. In the
context of a global pandemic where the uncertainties created by a novel virus required us to
explore innovative solutions, it was right to pursue LAMP technology initially and to discontinue
it as soon as it became clear it was not the best COVID-19 testing solution for the UK’s mass
testing programme."
Dame Jennifer Harries
Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency
Link to letter below.
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/22208/documents/164698/default/
The Government shifted to cheap LFT's towards the end of summer 2020 around the same time as Novacyt won the big contract.
"Within weeks, Innova had its first contract, for five shipments between September and early October worth £103.6m. As that one ended, a second, much bigger contract was signed for £496m. They did not go out to tender because of the “extreme urgency” and global demand, according to the contract notice. On 18 December, a third UK contract was published with Innova for £226m."
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