Key Forensic Services is providing additional support in the national effort to fight Covid-19 by loaning the NHS two of our 7500-Fast polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines.

The PCR machines, which will be used to help process thousands of samples from people suspected of having the virus, were collected by the Army and taken to the new national Covid-19 testing laboratory in Milton Keynes.

There is only a limited supply of these machines in the UK, and KFS is proud to do what we can to help save lives in these times of emergency.

Following an urgent appeal from the Government to borrow machines for the diagnostic centres for the duration of the crisis, KFS were quick to respond to lend the NHS the two 7500 machines we have at our disposal.

The UK Biocentre in Milton Keynes was opened specifically to operate as a large, centralised laboratory where swabs from people all over the UK who are showing symptoms will be sent for analysis.

The NHS have borrowed specialist equipment from many universities and companies, including KFS, in order to open it.

KFS Head of DNA, Jess Wenham, said: “I am incredibly proud that Key Forensic Services were able to respond so quickly to the request for additional machines.

“It’s brilliant that we, as a business, are able to play such an active role in the Government’s response to the global pandemic.”

KFS CEO, Nigel Withey, added: “With the World Health Organisation (WHO) being very clear in their message that testing is the most important component in controlling this pandemic, the whole team at Key Forensic Services are delighted that we can make our contribution in building the UK testing capacity.”