Coronavirus: Wales scraps tests booking portal for key workers

An online platform for key workers to book coronavirus tests has been scrapped by the Welsh Government, which has opted to use a UK-wide system.

Welsh ministers decided to work with Amazon in developing a testing portal, which was only ever rolled out in the south east of the country.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said data issues with the UK-wide system had been resolved so there was no need to continue "developing that Wales-only route".

He said it was not "about being different for the sake of it".

Wales went its own way, while the Scottish and Northern Irish governments signed up to the UK government booking portal.

Speaking on the BBC's Politics Wales programme, Mr Gething said: "At the starting point we weren't able to take proper advantage of the UK testing programme because we'd only have known if people had a test - the other information wasn't coming back into our health and care system, so the value was really limited.

"Now, we're in a position where those data issues, that really do matter, are going to be resolved.

"That's why I've got some confidence about taking part in the wider UK testing programme.

"So the results will go back on to the patient record, clinicians may be able to see them and make use of them.

"That's really important for us because, whilst we were developing our own track, now we're able to have a consistent approach with other parts UK with information coming back to us. We can use the exact same portal.

"And the question is, now we're able to do that, why would we carry on with developing and implementing a separate portal online here in Wales?"

Asked how much had been spent on setting up the Amazon website, the health minister said he did not have the figures to hand and he was "really not bothered about getting into how much we spent on developing a different portal at a point in time".

Addressing the issues around patient data, the UK Government's Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said "there are always going to be concerns" when you construct a new system.

He added: "I think the access to data is of critical importance because people's treatment or safety could be compromised unless that's got right.

"That is probably one of the most over-riding reasons that we felt right from day one that this should be a UK-wide approach because that we can minimise the risk of any data issues and we can maximise the opportunity of getting the right system in place with the right level of investment as quickly as possible."

Paul Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, welcomed the decision but said the Welsh Government was "once again behind the curve".

Plaid Cymru's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: "Why have we been in this situation where there was confusion over whether Wales' and England's system could talk to each other? How much has this cost us? How much time has been lost as a result of this?

"It's another example of the confusion in the way the Welsh Government has reacted to this. Great if this is the best way, there we are. But it raises the questions why are we again in this situation with so much confusion?"