The Government was slow to move once it realised that coronavirus testing required a rapid expansion and did not engage sufficiently with the wide array of scientific expertise available within the UK—particularly within our universities and research institutes. While we appreciate the complexities of such a feat, including the need to ensure health and safety guidelines are adhered to, it does not justify that many researchers who were willing and able to contribute went unheard. An overt initial focus on boosting capacity within established structures—namely PHE and NHS laboratories—clouded the exploration of a more decentralised avenue, such as that clearly employed by the Republic of Korea. As such, a significant and foreseeable opportunity was missed to prepare the UK for a potential pandemic situation. (Paragraph 138) 80 The UK response to covid-19: use of scientific advice