Randox Deal Strengthens UK Pandemic Testing Capacity 

A three-year agreement with UKHSA will secure access to up to 120,000 tests a day during future public health emergencies 

Randox has signed a three-year contract with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to provide additional laboratory testing capacity during future pandemics and significant public health emergencies.  The agreement will require the diagnostics company to maintain operational readiness so that testing can expand rapidly when a threat emerges. 

Announced on 7 October, the contract provides for capacity of up to 120,000 tests every 24 hours if required.  Randox will maintain the infrastructure and systems needed to mobilise its laboratories, with testing delivered through a network that includes facilities in Northern Ireland, Warrington and London. 

The arrangement addresses the challenge of retaining laboratory capability between emergencies, when demand may be low.  Rather than building capacity only after an outbreak begins, UKHSA will have access to an existing network that can increase testing volumes alongside its own laboratories. 

Emergency preparedness 

Shona Arora, UKHSA’s Interim Chief Medical Advisor, said the agreement would secure additional capacity that could be activated quickly in response to a future pandemic or significant health threat.  “Contracts like this are a critical part of our pandemic preparedness, ensuring the right infrastructure is in place before it’s needed,” she says 

“Maintaining this kind of capacity, alongside our own laboratory network, is a key part of UKHSA’s work to protect the public.  It means that if a serious health threat emerges, we can rapidly expand testing to support early diagnosis, track the spread of disease, and respond effectively to protect people.” 

The testing model is intended to support diagnosis and disease surveillance as well as outbreak management.  Expanding laboratory access would help the agency establish how a threat is developing and inform the public health measures needed to respond. 

Randox says the distribution of its laboratories across several locations will provide operational resilience and support a coordinated UK response.  The contract concerns capacity available for activation during an emergency, with the maximum daily volume dependent on the requirements of that response. 

Laboratory readiness 

Dr Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox, said the company’s experience during COVID-19 had demonstrated the value of maintaining diagnostic capabilities before they were needed.  “The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the critical importance of having diagnostic infrastructure, scientific expertise and scalable laboratory capacity already in place before an emergency occurs,” he says.  

Randox supported the UK’s national COVID-19 testing programme, expanding its laboratory infrastructure and workforce to meet demand.  According to the company, that experience has informed the operational model behind the new agreement and its preparations for responding to emerging pathogens. 

The three-year contract formalises an ongoing requirement to keep laboratory capability available during quieter periods.  For UKHSA, the additional capacity will complement its own network, allowing a larger testing response to be mobilised without relying solely on the agency’s existing facilities.  The emphasis is on readiness: maintaining the ability to move from low demand to substantial testing volumes when a public health emergency requires it.