about its safety. 31 cases of a rare type of blood clot have been reported among more than 2.7 million people who've received vaccinations so far. most of the cases involved women under 60. it is about 3:30am. now on bbc news: panorama. my my name is jackie wakefield. i'm secretly filming inside one of the largest laboratories testing the coronavirus in the uk. it's made me really angry, and there have been times on shift where i have really had to bite my tongue. did you see that? my evidence reveals how some people could be getting the wrong result. film! what you

the wrong result. oh! what you are the wrong result. oil what you are seeing the wrong result. ii what you are seeing here is absolutely crazy. are seeing here is absolutely cra . , ., ., crazy. there is almost zero question — crazy. there is almost zero question this _ crazy. there is almost zero question this would - crazy. there is almost zero question this would lead i crazy. there is almost zero i question this would lead to contamination.— question this would lead to contamination. ., contamination. the government has sent contamination. the government has spent over _ contamination. the government has spent over £1 _ contamination. the government has spent over £1 billion - has spent over £1 billion setting up a network of testing labs, including this one in milton keynes. hi. labs, including this one in milton keynes.— labs, including this one in milton keynes. hi, folks, i'm here at the — milton keynes. hi, folks, i'm here at the milton _ milton keynes. hi, folks, i'm here at the milton keynes i milton keynes. hi, folks, i'm i here at the milton keynes mega lab, where they are doing the most phenomenal amount of testing. most phenomenal amount of testinu. �* , ., testing. but i find frustrated staff losing _ testing. but i find frustrated staff losing faith _ testing. but i find frustrated staff losing faith in - testing. but i find frustrated staff losing faith in the - staff losing faith in the system. would do the exes mean? x means it is garbage. every to is a person, probably a scared person or a worried person. figs person or a worried person. as we begin to return to normal life, can we trust testing to help keep us safe?- life, can we trust testing to help keep us safe? you 'ust cannot i help keep us safe? you 'ust cannot run a i help keep us safe? you 'ust cannot run a service i help keep us safe? you just cannot run a service like - help keep us safe? you just i cannot run a service like this. who is in charge here? i

cannot run a service like this. who is in charge here?- cannot run a service like this. who is in charge here? i am so motivated _ who is in charge here? i am so motivated to _ who is in charge here? i am so motivated to go _ who is in charge here? i am so motivated to go in _ who is in charge here? i am so motivated to go in and - who is in charge here? i am so motivated to go in and really i motivated to go in and really find out what is happening there. it is so important to get testing right, because essentially, that is our first line of defence with covid. testing is a cornerstone of the government's fight against coronavirus. the most reliable tests are called pcr. thousands of samples are sent here every day, to one of the uk's biggest labs, milton keynes. panorama has been told by sources about poor practices at the lab. it is january, and i poor practices at the lab. it isjanuary, and i am going undercover to investigate. hello, how's it going? 0h, hello, how's it going? oh, thank you. i am a science

graduate with loud experience. i have had 11.5 days training, and i am being paid £13 57 an hourasa lab and i am being paid £13 57 an hour as a lab technician. great. good luck. we are disguising the identities of all the people i am working with. good morning. yeah, good. how are you? i start working in what is called the debugging area. as soon as i start unpacking samples, i noticed a number of the tubes that come in league. —— debagging. the lab has to deal with at least eight types of tubes. —— bilyk. we are supposed to check for leaks when we open the bag. big ones now. , ., ,

leaks when we open the bag. big ones nova— ones now. these ones tend to leak. ones now. these ones tend to leak- they _ ones now. these ones tend to leak. they tend _ ones now. these ones tend to leak. they tend to _ ones now. these ones tend to leak. they tend to leak? - ones now. these ones tend to leak. they tend to leak? as i leak. they tend to leak? as much as — leak. they tend to leak? as much as the _ leak. they tend to leak? as much as the little, - leak. they tend to leak? as much as the little, orange l much as the little, orange ones? i would say the same. that is a pain. we do our best to clean up the leaks to try to prevent contamination, but we are working fast and we don't always spot them. panorama has asked two experts to review my evidence. this man runs a university lab that can do 2600 coronavirus tests a day. it coronavirus tests a day. if there is a faulty element in there is a faulty element in the pipeline that has been identified, then that needs to be addressed. if these are being handled inappropriately, and they keep on breaking, that needs to be investigated. feet needs to be investigated. feel it used to _ needs to be investigated. feel it used to run _ needs to be investigated. feel it used to run a _ needs to be investigated. feel it used to run a genetic- it used to run a genetic testing company doing millions of pcr test. testing company doing millions of pcr test-— of pcr test. yeah, it's 'ust not acceptable. there h

of pcr test. yeah, it'sjust not acceptable. there are | not acceptable. there are multiple tubes for a start, there _ multiple tubes for a start, there should only be one. you are telling _ there should only be one. you are telling me there is more than — are telling me there is more than one _ are telling me there is more than one and you have ones that are leaking — than one and you have ones that are leaking consistently? who is in _ are leaking consistently? who is in charge here? the government _ is in charge here? the government says - is in charge here? the government says that | is in charge here? the i government says that all is in charge here? tie: government says that all tubes meet strict standards and that their work with suppliers to continuously improve recesses. —— they work. —— they work to continuously improve processes. 0ver continuously improve processes. over the past year, the uk has built up its testing capacity, over 700,000 pcr test can be carried out every day. milton keynes can do around 70,000 a day. by february, each team of two is told to sort ate lots of 93 samples every hour. —— eat lots. the lapses it is essential people get results quickly and that staff work at this pace regardless of how

samples actually arrive on any given day. do samples actually arrive on any given day-— given day. do you find it easy to, like. — given day. do you find it easy to. like. do — given day. do you find it easy to, like, do all— given day. do you find it easy to, like, do all the _ given day. do you find it easy to, like, do all the checks - given day. do you find it easy| to, like, do all the checks and stuff and make the targets. to hit eight is really difficult. because, you know, you have to check_ because, you know, you have to check if— because, you know, you have to check if it— because, you know, you have to check if it is— check if it is not leaking. then _ check if it is not leaking. then you _ check if it is not leaking. then you can cut it, you know? we can — then you can cut it, you know? we can do. _ then you can cut it, you know? we can do, max, six. but we chose — we can do, max, six. but we chose as— we can do, max, six. but we chose as much as we can, you know? — chose as much as we can, you know? -- _ chose as much as we can, you know? -- we _ chose as much as we can, you know? —— we try. chose as much as we can, you know? -- we try-— chose as much as we can, you know? -- we try. each sample and i know? -- we try. each sample and i get _ know? -- we try. each sample and i get arising _ know? -- we try. each sample and i get arising should - know? -- we try. each sample and i get arising should have l know? -- we try. each sample and i get arising should have ai and i get arising should have a barcode. we are supposed to check that they match. —— each bag should have a barcode. it's how we ensure the results get to the right people. yeah. yeah, you can't. but we should

also be looking out for sample tubes arriving without barcodes on them. 0therwise tubes arriving without barcodes on them. otherwise they could get lost in the system. have you ever done it on shift where you have probably checked everything?— you have probably checked| everything?_ just everything? first shift. just the first shift? _ after four shifts opening afterfour shifts opening bags, i moved to a new section. and it's not long before we have a tube that doesn't seem to have a barcode. this one doesn't have a barcode. yeah.

but it looks like nobody noticed the barcode was missing before the through the bag away. she had to chuckle one sample that did not have a barcode on it, so that means, yeah, it is not logged into the system. that person who took that test is not going to get sold their result. and everyone talks about how that happens at least a few times a day —— told their result. essentially, if it is getting missed at that stage, it results in a whole bunch of people not finding out. to find it easy to, like, do all the checks while making the targets? all the checks while making the taraets? a ~ , all the checks while making the taraets? ~' , ., targets? making eight is not

eas . if targets? making eight is not easy- if you _ targets? making eight is not easy- if you try _ targets? making eight is not easy. if you try to _ targets? making eight is not easy. if you try to put - targets? making eight is not| easy. if you try to put targets on, _ easy. if you try to put targets on, we — easy. if you try to put targets on, we must hit this number, that— that puts undue pressure on people, and they are going to make — people, and they are going to make mistakes or rush it because _ make mistakes or rush it because they feel there is no option— because they feel there is no option for them. it because they feel there is no option for them.— because they feel there is no option for them. it forces the operator _ option for them. it forces the operator to — option for them. it forces the operator to basically - option for them. it forces the operator to basically cut - operator to basically cut corners. operator to basically cut corners-— corners. from the lab's perspective. _ corners. from the lab's perspective, they - corners. from the lab's perspective, they have | corners. from the lab's l perspective, they have to corners. from the lab's - perspective, they have to do a lot of tests, they have to push people quickly. i lot of tests, they have to push people quickly-— people quickly. i understand that, but — people quickly. i understand that, but there _ people quickly. i understand that, but there are - people quickly. i understand that, but there are ways - people quickly. i understand that, but there are ways of i that, but there are ways of making things faster, and it is not they doing things at lower quality, because your process is incorrect.— is incorrect. last april the milton keynes _ is incorrect. last april the milton keynes lab, - is incorrect. last april the milton keynes lab, whichl is incorrect. last april the | milton keynes lab, which is is incorrect. last april the - milton keynes lab, which is run by a not—for—profit company called uk biosensor, became the uk's first coronavirus lighthouse lab.- uk's first coronavirus lighthouse lab. uk's first coronavirus liuhthouse lab. ., �* lighthouse lab. hi, folks, i'm here at the milton keynes mega lab where they are doing the most phenomenal amount of testing, which is absolutely essential for our ability to defeat the virus.- essential for our ability to defeat the virus. after the pandemic _ defeat the virus. after the pandemic started, - defeat the virus. after the pandemic started, the - pandemic started, the government moved to ramp up the

uk's community testing capacity. milton keynes is one of seven lighthouse lab is brought on stream by number 10. nearly £6 billion has been set aside for them. more than £1 billion has been spent so far. when milton keynes began testing for coronavirus, academics and universities across the country offered their help. i across the country offered their help-— across the country offered their hel. ., , ., their help. i was a small part of this tremendous - their help. i was a small part of this tremendous team - their help. i was a small part| of this tremendous team that was established from nothing, but i think generated a truly miraculous outcome. when i left in last year, the standards were still extraordinary, and they still had a real focus on — those individuals from oxford university in particular had a real focus university in particular had a realfocus on university in particular had a real focus on quality. they were absolutely relentless every sa m ple were absolutely relentless every sample would get tested and put through.—

and put through. during the summer. — and put through. during the summer, many _ and put through. during the summer, many of— and put through. during the summer, many of the - and put through. during the - summer, many of the scientists left to go back to their full—timejobs. many of left to go back to their full—time jobs. many of the 70 technicians on a team are recent graduates. there are 850 people working here now, and four different teams in the lab. were you worried about standards and quality once you left the lab? i standards and quality once you left the tab?— standards and quality once you left the lab?— left the lab? i think there was a genuine _ left the lab? i think there was a genuine change _ left the lab? i think there was a genuine change in _ left the lab? i think there was a genuine change in the - left the lab? i think there was a genuine change in the level| a genuine change in the level of experience of the staff that were joining, of experience of the staff that werejoining, as compared to the ones that left. every tube is a person. you have to think that way. and probably quite a scared person or a worried person. we have a responsibility, certainly when i was working there, to get those results back to them. when those academics left, there was a significant rise in there was a significant rise in the number of people taking tests. when schools and colleges returned after summer,

the testing system struggled to cope. a report by mps in march found the system never met the target of consistently getting results back within 2a hours. they said it is not clear it can justify its unimaginable costs. before the pandemic, there was already a network of smaller, localand there was already a network of smaller, local and nhs labs. but they did not have enough capacity. sojohn alden's a health expert who has worked for five governments and ten secretaries of state. he believes it would have been better to focus on expanding the existing system. the test, track and _ the existing system. the test, track and trace _ the existing system. the test, track and trace was _ the existing system. the test, track and trace was built, - the existing system. the test, | track and trace was built, from my perspective, in the normal way. instead of having spent the billions that we have creating a new system, we had

spent probably less than that reinforcing the existing system, i think we would have been a lot better off. that failure contributed to the reason we had a higher death rate and the biggest economic hit from covid of any g7 country. hit from covid of any g7 country-— hit from covid of any g7 country. hit from covid of any g7 count . ., _ , country. the government says it had built from _ country. the government says it had built from scratch _ country. the government says it had built from scratch the - had built from scratch the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities in british history, which has carried out over 110 million covid tests. it says it has worked with highly experienced partners in the public and private sector, and medically a public authorities must achieve value for taxpayers. authorities must achieve value fortaxpayers. it authorities must achieve value for taxpayers. it says three new lighthouse labs have opened, which are managed by local nhs trusts.— opened, which are managed by local nhs trusts. now, the uk's

bi est local nhs trusts. now, the uk's biggest testing _ local nhs trusts. now, the uk's biggest testing lab _ local nhs trusts. now, the uk's biggest testing lab has - local nhs trusts. now, the uk's biggest testing lab has been - biggest testing lab has been hit by an outbreak of coronavirus. it hit by an outbreak of coronavirus.- hit by an outbreak of coronavirus. it has been reported _ coronavirus. it has been reported a _ coronavirus. it has been reported a number- coronavirus. it has been reported a number of. coronavirus. it has been - reported a number of scientists at the _ reported a number of scientists at the centre in milton keynes in bucks— at the centre in milton keynes in bucks were affected.- in bucks were affected. three months before _ in bucks were affected. three months before that _ in bucks were affected. threei months before that outbreak, the health and safety executive had warned that workers here were being put at risk by insufficient cleaning and social distancing. 0ther other people test positive too while i'm here and january and february. the lab says it has improved its safety standards and our meeting guidelines. at the lab —— but the labs social distancing rules are widely ignored.

the lab has the capacity to run around 70,000 tests each day, but the number of samples actually arriving is much lower. during my time at the lab, we usually did between 18000 and 40,000 a day. a lot of the time, we don't have much to do. during that same week, the uk reaches one of many miserable milestones. reaches one of many miserable milestones-— reaches one of many miserable milestones. . , , ., milestones. there has been more rim milestones. there has been more grim news — milestones. there has been more grim news on _ milestones. there has been more grim news on the _ milestones. there has been more grim news on the coronavirus - grim news on the coronavirus with the number of covid deaths recorded in the last 24 hours more than 1800. that is yet another record since the pandemic began.-

pandemic began. we've got one of the biggest covm _ pandemic began. we've got one of the biggest covid labs - pandemic began. we've got one of the biggest covid labs in - of the biggest covid labs in the uk not utilising their capabilities. 70 people doing nothing stopping machines not running, essentiallyjust paying a bunch of people to sit around. the government says it is appropriate for labs to operate below maximum capacity so they can respond quickly to outbreaks and allow for training and maintenance. whatever the number of samples arriving, we try to process them quickly. i've now moved on to working with the robotic machines that are at the heart of mass testing. this one moves eight samples at a time onto processing plates. pcr test is so sensitive it can detect the

slightest trace of coronavirus, so it's essential there is no contamination. some of the samples are quite thick and gloopy and the machine is dragging them across what is supposed to be a clean plate. ifa if a gloopy sample is positive and it contaminates the plates, it could mean people being told they are positive when they are not, having to self isolate when they don't need to. it looks like there could be

contamination, to me, but this technician who is training me doesn't seem to think it's a problem. technicians wipe off the gloopy samples with their gloves or a tissue. terrible. beyond terrible. very surprised that it's been allowed to get to the slow, low level. ~ .,

allowed to get to the slow, low level. ~ . , ., allowed to get to the slow, low level. ~ ., , ., ., , level. what you are seeing here is 'ust level. what you are seeing here is just absolutely _ level. what you are seeing here is just absolutely crazy. - level. what you are seeing here isjust absolutely crazy. it - level. what you are seeing here isjust absolutely crazy. it is - is just absolutely crazy. it is crazy — is just absolutely crazy. it is crazy. there is almost zero question— crazy. there is almost zero question that this would lead to contamination. the amount of virus _ to contamination. the amount of virus and — to contamination. the amount of virus and genetic material that is required to create a positive is absolutely minuscule so the action of touching _ minuscule so the action of touching it and then moving on touching it and then moving on to the — touching it and then moving on to the next and touching that and touching that, every time there's— and touching that, every time there's a _ and touching that, every time there's a point of like that there _ there's a point of like that there is— there's a point of like that there is a _ there's a point of like that there is a potential for contamination. as soon as you see that, — contamination. as soon as you see that, just stop the system, find out — see that, just stop the system, find out what is going on because there is no point in carrying _ because there is no point in carrying on with those samples because — carrying on with those samples because the chance of contamination isjust so high. the _ contamination isjust so high. the lab— contamination isjust so high. the lab says operators are trained to stop the process running progress, clean down the system and start the run again from scratch. there are's another problem. i also see the test swabs stick to the

machine's pipettes. my colleagues for their hands on the machine to push the swabs back down. again, it seems like a contamination risk so i ask my trainer what to do. the sticky swabs sometimes fall across other people's samples. i see my colleagues handle swabs a lot. i mean, that isjust disgusting. i mean, that is 'ust disgustingfi i mean, that is 'ust disgusting. i mean, that is 'ust distrustin. , , disgusting. this 'ust shocks me more

disgusting. thisjust shocks me more than anything _ disgusting. thisjust shocks me more than anything else - disgusting. thisjust shocks me more than anything else that i | more than anything else that i have _ more than anything else that i have seen. of that solution has -ot have seen. of that solution has got a _ have seen. of that solution has got a full— have seen. of that solution has got a full infection in their of millions of particles and you — of millions of particles and you start bouncing this around, naturally— you start bouncing this around, naturally little droplets are going — naturally little droplets are going to spray off and all different directions and they are going to go into all neighbouring tubes. this is not ok. �* ., . ~ ., neighbouring tubes. this is not ok. ., neighbouring tubes. this is not 0k. back when that lab open, swabs were — 0k. back when that lab open, swabs were removed - 0k. back when that lab open, swabs were removed from - 0k. back when that lab open, | swabs were removed from the tubes before samples went through the machine. at the lab says it was time—consuming and laborious and trails it carried out showed leaving swabs in the tubes is safe and carries less contamination risk than removing them by hand. 0ur removing them by hand. our experts disagree.— experts disagree. they are doinu experts disagree. they are doing something _ experts disagree. they are doing something which - experts disagree. they are - doing something which borders on criminaland a doing something which borders on criminal and a lab. this is about as disgusting as i have ever seen. you are going to have false positives everywhere, so all these people are going to be told that they have covid when they haven't. the lab says its training makes

clear operators must pause the system to manually intervene. if contamination is suspected run must be stopped, the system cleaned down and a new run started from scratch. after each person's test is completed, results are checked by these scientists. they are responsible for quality control. this shows a plate of 93 results. the orange xers are inconclusive results. this many suggests contamination.

much better to have less numbers going through but of higher quality than hitting numbers that are meaningless, really. let's face it. if none of those results were any good whatsoever out of the 70,000, would you call it 70,000 or would you call it 70,000 or would you call it 70,000 or would you call it zero? iii would you call it 70,000 or would you call it zero? in all, i'd would you call it zero? in all, m speak— would you call it zero? in all, m speak to _ would you call it zero? in all, i'd speak to three _ would you call it zero? in all, i'd speak to three scientists i i'd speak to three scientists at length, from my team and two others, whosejob it is

at length, from my team and two others, whose job it is to check the quality of results. they each show me plates they think are contaminated. 0ne says management wants to improve things, but two say every day, hundreds of results are on plates they think are contaminated and should be retested. .,. contaminated and should be retested. .. ., contaminated and should be retested. ., retested. each of those should either have — retested. each of those should either have a _ retested. each of those should either have a clear _ retested. each of those should either have a clear positive - either have a clear positive or a clear negative result on it that tells you what is going on in that sample. itjust shouldn't be happening. if this happened once in a blue moon, well, that's life. but as a standard? no.— well, that's life. but as a standard? no. this scientist sa s he standard? no. this scientist says he feels _ standard? no. this scientist says he feels under- standard? no. this scientist| says he feels under pressure standard? no. this scientist. says he feels under pressure to simply declare the orange results void. if your result is void, you have to get another test, and that could mean waiting longer to find out if you have the virus ought not. he thinks any platelets so much orange results potentially caused by contamination should

be retested. instead, he says the negative results senior marked green and the positive results senior marked red are released. so would you have any confidence in the positives on that plate?— confidence in the positives on that plate? no, is the straight answer to _ that plate? no, is the straight answer to that. _ that plate? no, is the straight answer to that. if _ that plate? no, is the straight answer to that. if you've - that plate? no, is the straight answer to that. if you've got i answer to that. if you've got that level of contamination on the plate which shows it's a positive, how do you know the positives are positive? the positive, how do you know the positives are positive?- positives are positive? the lab sa s it positives are positive? the lab says it doesn't _ positives are positive? the lab says it doesn't pressure - positives are positive? the lab says it doesn't pressure staffi says it doesn't pressure staff and its sample void rate is as good or better than other substantial testing centres in

the country. it says positivity rate closely tracks the average for the uk, providing reassurance results are robust and trustworthy. it says there may have been isolated mistakes by individual staff, but that this is an inevitable and a laboratory that processes up to 70,000 samples each day. i've completed 18 shifts at milton keynes over two months, what i have seen here makes me wonder if fully trust the system to handle our results properly or even to get them right. i think mistakes are _ even to get them right. i think mistakes are forgivable. not i mistakes are forgivable. not learning from them isn't, and for me, that means moving at to a proper nhs test, track and trace where it's rooted in the

local public health teams, rooted in local nhs labs and facilities. this isn't going to go away and we do need that greater resilience and i have huge faith in people around the system who have the wherewithal and intelligence to really get this right. and intelligence to really get this riuht. ., , and intelligence to really get thisriaht. , this right. the lab says this programme _ this right. the lab says this programme is _ this right. the lab says this programme is an _ this right. the lab says this i programme is an incomplete this right. the lab says this - programme is an incomplete and selective representation of its efforts, and that while i was filming it was operating under a unique period of pressure due to the second wave. it says it has contributed significantly to the pandemic response. and operates in line with industry best practice and has been recommended for accreditation by the regulator. the

government says it demands the highest standards, takes concerns extremely seriously, and will be fully investigating the allegations that have been made. ., , ., , ., made. people in the lab tend to foruet made. people in the lab tend to forget that _ made. people in the lab tend to forget that these _ made. people in the lab tend to forget that these are _ made. people in the lab tend to forget that these are real - forget that these are real people's samples. you are processing hundreds of samples every day, you are told to speed up, sped up, speed up. yeah, i think it's very easy to forget that there is real people waiting at the end of this and what we do has consequences for those people. a third wave is spreading across europe. i hope the system we have invested so much money in and so much faith in can do what it was designed to do and help keep us all safe.

welcome to bbc news. my name is mike embley. our top stories: president bolsonaro faces a growing crisis over his leadership in brazil as the commanders of his armed forces resign and the pandemic gets worse. eyewitnesses at derek chauvin's trial describe what they saw, and did, when the former police officer pressed his knee into george floyd's neck. that is correct. i called the police on the police. and why did you do that? because i believe i witnessed a murder. protests against the coup in myanmar are being met with increasing force. the military is reported to have killed more than 500 people in less than two months. young activists in the cities of myanmar are now learning