https://www.s**mh.com.au/national/nsw/taxpayers-spend-more-than-5...

https://www.s**mh.com.au/national/nsw/taxpayers-spend-more-than-580-million-on-covid-19-testing-in-nsw-20210726-p58d1b.html?bti

The NSW government is considering the use of rapid COVID-19 screening in workplaces to boost the state’s testing capacity, but is facing resistance from pathology companies that perform the gold standard, laboratory-based tests that have cost taxpayers more than half a billion dollars.

Laboratories have performed 2.2 million COVID-19 tests since the Sydney outbreak began six weeks ago anBut the NSW government is concerned the state has reached its testing capacity and approached industry experts for advice on the value of rapid antigen tests.d more than 8.6 million tests since the pandemic started last year. Private pathology companies receive a Medicare subsidy of $85 per test and public laboratories receive a benefit of $42.50.

NSW Health Laboratories have performed 3.4 million tests and private providers have performed 5.2 million tests up to July 25, running up a Medicare bill of $587 million.

One private laboratory — Laverty Pathology — is shipping its swabs interstate and shopping around other companies to process them amid five day waiting times. The company was not able to be reached on Tuesday.

Rapid antigen testing costs about $10 per test and turns around results in 10 to 15 minutes, but it is less sensitive than the PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests that are performed in laboratories.

NSW’s Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said testing capacity was beginning to “max out” when more than 82,000 people were tested on Friday, since which time the daily rate has increased to around 100,000. On Tuesday, her deputy Dr Jeremy McAnulty said the state was actively reviewing the use of rapid antigen tests.

“The technology changes all the time and there has been a rapid surge of new technology in terms of diagnostics in the past last year,” Dr McAnulty said. “We are working closely to work out where rapid antigen tests may be most useful - for example in businesses or various industries.”

Henning Liljeqvist, an epidemiologist and public health consultant, said officials had sought his advice on the value of rapid antigen tests following speculation the government had chosen not to use them as a result of lobbying by pathology companies.

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