Official Notice – Long-haul COVID Testing

Update on SYNLAB position re: long-haul COVID testing services in the UK

With events unfolding in the last few hours, we are issuing this independent statement aimed at people affected by this week’s issues, as well as those suffering from long-term COVID-related illnesses. At SYNLAB, we are unwavering in our commitment to providing high quality testing and diagnostic services which centre’s on the needs of people and consumers, and we pride ourselves on our professionalism and integrity.

We re-emphasise our earlier statement that SYNLAB did not at any time agree to, support or endorse the clinic being arranged on Monday 14 March in Bristol by another party. At the point at which clinics were promoted in our name and without our consent, discussions were still very much under way about how we could put in place arrangements which meet the necessary standards and regulations. It may seem like a simple thing to achieve, but setting up a service which is safe, legitimate and effective can take weeks, if not months – especially when it needs to involve multiple organisations, which is the case for this particular test.

We very much regret the distress that all of this will have caused to people affected by long-term COVID illnesses, particularly those whose hopes were raised about taking the test in the UK next week.

With this community in mind, SYNLAB remains committed to doing everything we can to support the introduction of long-COVID testing in the UK; and we are wholly supportive and encouraging of other organisations who may be able to introduce this particular testing service instead. Our primary concern is for this vulnerable group of people, it is not one of commercial interest.

I would add that we had been making good progress in exploring a possible solution in collaboration with other parties, and we will continue our discussions within SYNLAB.

What has happened over the last week has been very disappointing for all of us at SYNLAB – as we know it will have been for those struggling with long-term COVID illnesses. Developing testing services to help diagnose and treat chronic illness associated with COVID is a truly important mission, and one which we wholeheartedly support.