Health minister Gillian Keegan has apologised for continuing with an in-person meeting despite being told a lateral flow COVID test had come back positive.

Posting a thread on Twitter, Ms Keegan said she took a precautionary lateral flow test ahead of a planned visit and was told she had recorded a positive result while she was “listening to three fathers who had tragically lost their daughters to suicide”.

Ms Keegan said she told the individuals she had tested positive and “took further precautions” but continued the in-person meeting “for a short period to hear their stories” with their consent.

The health minister added: “I should I should have immediately ended the meeting and on reflection this was an error of judgment on my part.

“I fully recognise the importance of following the letter and spirit of the policies, so want to be upfront about what happened and to apologise for the mistake I made.”

The government’s own coronavirus rules say an individual must isolate “straight away” if they record a positive lateral flow result.

It is unclear what “further precautions” Ms Keegan took.