Until now, ministers have relied on Chinese suppliers for the rapid tests sent to households and the first British company to get involved said it took six months to get approved.
Sky News has been given exclusive access to a warehouse where millions of lateral flow tests are being stored ready for distribution.
The pictures of the warehouse full of rapid tests are likely to frustrate those who have been unable to get hold of lateral flow devices over recent weeks.
The storage site in Nottinghamshire is part of a giant manufacturing facility run by SureScreen Diagnostics, the first British company to have its lateral flow tests approved for self-use in the UK.
Until now, the government has relied on Chinese suppliers for the rapid tests it provides to households.
One of SureScreen’s directors, David Campbell, explained it has taken around six months to secure approval for their tests.