7 May 2021 Share: Following what may have felt like a slow uptake of voluntary third-party laboratory testing support during the fight against the COVID-29 pandemic, Lorraine Turner explains how UKAS has fast tracked accreditation and continues to assess and onboard laboratories at unprecedented rates… From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government recognised the important role that testing would play in both managing the disease and planning for an eventual return to ‘normal’ life. It is often said that a bad test is worse than no test, so whilst the rapid expansion of COVID-19 testing methods and capacity was encouraged, this could not be at the expense of ensuring the accuracy of the results.