NHS testing could be increased eightfold if shortages of chemicals were solved

Hospitals have been forced to beg vets for testing supplies and brew their own chemicals as only 2,000 frontline staff have been formally tested for coronavirus.

Some NHS labs can only carry out a couple of tests a day because they are short of swabs while others are crippled by a lack of the chemicals needed, according to the body for hospital chiefs.

As the death toll jumped by a record 563 to 2,352, ministers are under increasing pressure over delays and missteps in ramping up testing.

Official figures show that the number of hospital admissions has increased significantly after plateauing for three days. There was a significant increase in admissions in London and the Midlands

Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus press conference, Professor