Has Mass COVID Diagnostic Testing Shifted Our Approach To Diagnostic Testing Forever?

COVID-19 has put incredible stress on the NHS. Data from NHS England revealed that one year after the onset of the pandemic (March 2021), 24.3% of patients had been waiting for six weeks or more since the date of their referral for one of 15 'key' diagnostic procedures provided by the NHS. Compared to March 2020, this figure represented a 14.1% (March 2021) increase. In March 2021, the vaccine programme was still in its early stages, and the NHS was on the front line fighting the virus. Despite improvements in the prognosis for patients infected with COVID-19 following the vaccination programme, the most recent statistics available at the time of writing (April 2022) suggest challenges in returning to 'normal' care remain. As of January 2022, 30% of patients were waiting for six weeks or more for key diagnostic tests, perhaps reflecting the ongoing toll of self-isolating NHS staff and an increasing backlog.