North Wales Assembly Members and Conwy County Borough Council Leader Sam Rowlands have called for Covid-19 tests from North Wales to be analysed in the north west of England to speed up results.

The call comes as the target for establishing a laboratory in North Wales was missed by the Welsh Labour Government.

In a joint statement released today, Clwyd West AM Darren Millar, Aberconwy AM Janet Finch-Saunders, North Wales Regional AM Mark Isherwood and Cllr Sam Rowlands said:

“In spite of promises to have a laboratory for Covid-19 tests in North Wales by the end of the April the Welsh Government has failed yet again to deliver for the region.

“The delay in establishing a laboratory for Covid-19 tests in North Wales is completely unacceptable; it leaves North Wales on the back foot in the battle against the coronavirus and suggests that the region is a lack of priority for the Welsh Government.

“Currently test samples are transported to Cardiff from patients who are showing symptoms in North Wales.  This daily transport causes unnecessary delays in test results being produced and causes avoidable anxiety for those waiting for news.

“The Welsh Government must accelerate the establishment of a laboratory in North Wales as soon as possible and, in the meantime, seek to work with the NHS in the north west of England to use laboratory capacity there to turn around results more quickly for people in North Wales.”