Second Mega Lighthouse Lab in Cheshire Goes Full Throttle
The UK’s coronavirus testing has just received a huge boost. The second Lighthouse Lab at Alderley Park, Cheshire, is now fully operational, processing thousands of patient samples daily. This is a major leap forward in the battle against COVID-19.
Massive Boost to UK’s Testing Capacity
The Alderley Park lab joins the first facility in Milton Keynes" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Milton Keynes, officially opened last week by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Together, they push the country closer to the ambitious goal of tens of thousands of tests per day. A third Lighthouse Lab is set to open in Glasgow next week, completing the largest network of diagnostic testing sites in British history.
National Heroes Behind the Scenes
Testing Minister Lord Bethell personally thanked staff at both operational labs, calling their efforts “truly humbling.” He praised experts from industry and academia working around the clock to smash testing targets and get the country through this crisis.
“Our target to reach 100,000 coronavirus tests a day requires a national effort. It’s remarkable to see so many using their skills to rapidly scale up testing capacity,” said Lord Bethell.
National Testing Coordinator Professor John Newton added:
“Lighthouse Labs will be the biggest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history. In these unprecedented times, remarkable people are achieving unprecedented things.”
How It Fits Into the UK’s 5-Pillar Testing Plan
- Pillar 1: Scale up swab testing in NHS and PHE labs to 25,000 daily by late April.
- Pillar 2: Increase commercial swab testing for NHS and key workers.
- Pillar 3: Develop blood tests for immunity detection.
- Pillar 4: Conduct UK-wide surveillance to track virus spread.
- Pillar 5: Build a new mass testing capacity for the entire UK.
The Lighthouse Labs are a collaborative effort between the Department of Health and Social Care, Medicines Discovery Catapult, UK Biocentre, and the University of Glasgow, with NHS and Public Health England support. Alderley Park’s facility works closely with AstraZeneca, speeding up the fight against COVID-19.
