This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'PCR advice to official UK testing centres'.


 
 
 
Public Accountability Unit 
  T  020 8327 6920 
Wellington House 
 
133-155 Waterloo Road 
 
London SE1 8UG 
www.gov.uk/phe  
 
By email 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx  
 
Our ref: 21/03/nk/3089 
12 April 2021 
Dear Frank Lally 
  
 
Re: Freedom of Information request - PCR advice to official UK testing centres 
 
Thank you for your request received on 21 March 2021 addressed to Public Health 
England (PHE). In accordance with Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information 
Act 2000 (the Act), I can confirm that PHE partly holds the information you have 
specified.  
 
Request 
 
I have been given information from a number of Hospital Trusts in the UK that 
they have received advice from you regarding the procedures to use when 
conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to detect Covid-19. 
Could you please send me a link to the document that you send to Trusts and 
other testing centres for this specific purpose.  
 
PHE can confirm it does hold this information. However, the information is exempt 
under section 21 of the FOI Act because it is reasonably accessible by other means, 
and the terms of the exemption mean that we do not have to consider whether or not 
it would be in the public interest for you to have the information. However for your 
convenience we have included the following links:- 
 
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attach
ment_data/file/926410/Understanding_Cycle_Threshold__Ct__in_SARS-CoV-2_RT-
PCR_.pdf 
 
 
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attach
ment_data/file/879385/Guidance_for_Laboratories_offering_support_for_COVID-
19_testing_for_publication_v2__2_.pdf 
 
 
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attach
ment_data/file/682533/Q4i5.pdf 
 
 
 
 

Can you please confirm if any advice you give users indicates the specific 
cycle (Ct/Cq) values (or range) that they should use? 
 
This is not a valid FOI request. Under section 8(1) of the FOIA, PHE is not required 
to provide explanations or opinions to answer your request. 
 
Are you aware of any other official bodies that send out the information 
covered above to testing centres? 
 
This is not a valid FOI request. Under section 8(1) of the FOIA, PHE is not required 
to provide explanations or opinions to answer your request. 
 
If you have any queries regarding the information that has been supplied to you, 
please refer your query to me in writing in the first instance. If you remain dissatisfied 
and would like to request an internal review, then please contact us at the address 
above or by emailing xxx@xxx.xxx.xx.  
 
Please note that you have the right to an independent review by the Information 
Commissioner’s Office if a complaint cannot be resolved through the PHE 
complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner’s Office can be contacted by 
calling the ICO’s helpline on 0303 123 1113, visiting the ICO’s website at 
www.ico.org.uk or writing to the ICO at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, 
Cheshire, SK9 5AF. 
 
Yours sincerely  
FOI Team