Around 43,000 people may have been wrongly told their test for Covid-19 was negative.
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Around 43,000 people in England and Wales may have been wrongly told their Covid-19 test was negative because of errors at a lab.
Testing at the Wolverhampton laboratory has been suspended following an investigation by NHS Test and Trace.
It is now contacting those affected, mainly in the south west region, to ask them to take another Covid test.
Concerns were raised when people had positive lateral flow tests but negative PCR results from the lab.
Lateral flow tests (LFTs) are rapid tests widely used by schools and workplaces to find people with no symptoms who are infected and can spread the virus.
PCR tests, which are sent off to a lab to be analysed, detect the virus several weeks after infection and trigger contact tracing. After a positive LFT, official guidance is to take a PCR to confirm Covid-19.
Some false negatives are expected, because no test is 100% perfect, but reports of this happening appeared to be unusually high in certain areas over the past few weeks.
The UK Health Security Agency said negative tests results received from the privately-run lab between 8 September and 12 October are being looked at.
Most people affected are in the south west, but some may also be in the south east of England and in Wales.
All samples from the lab, where Immensa Health Clinic Ltd runs the testing operations, are now being sent to other labs.
UKHSA said all other labs are working normally and there are no technical issues with the test kits themselves.