diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 662ea5c..3da45c9 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -53,4 +53,4 @@ Language: en-GB
 LazyData: true
 Roxygen: list(markdown = TRUE, roclets = c("collate","namespace", "rd",
     "vignette" ))
-RoxygenNote: 7.3.1
+RoxygenNote: 7.3.2
diff --git a/R/read_slf.R b/R/read_slf.R
index aa5021c..62b5174 100644
--- a/R/read_slf.R
+++ b/R/read_slf.R
@@ -53,15 +53,19 @@ read_slf <- function(
   # but the column wasn't selected we need to add it (and remove later)
   remove_partnership_var <- FALSE
   remove_recid_var <- FALSE
-  if (!is.null(col_select)) {
-    if (!is.null(partnerships) &
-      !("hscp2018" %in% col_select)) {
-      col_select <- c(col_select, "hscp2018")
+  if (!rlang::quo_is_null(rlang::enquo(col_select))) {
+    if (!is.null(partnerships) &&
+      stringr::str_detect(rlang::quo_text(rlang::enquo(col_select)),
+        stringr::coll("hscp2018"),
+        negate = TRUE
+      )) {
       remove_partnership_var <- TRUE
     }
-    if (!is.null(recids) & file_version == "episode" &
-      !("recid" %in% col_select)) {
-      col_select <- c(col_select, "recid")
+    if (!is.null(recids) && file_version == "episode" &&
+      stringr::str_detect(rlang::quo_text(rlang::enquo(col_select)),
+        stringr::coll("recid"),
+        negate = TRUE
+      )) {
       remove_recid_var <- TRUE
     }
   }
@@ -71,27 +75,48 @@ read_slf <- function(
     function(file_path) {
       slf_table <- arrow::read_parquet(
         file = file_path,
-        col_select = !!col_select,
+        col_select = {{ col_select }},
         as_data_frame = FALSE
       )
 
-      if (!is.null(recids)) {
+      if (!is.null(partnerships)) {
+        if (remove_partnership_var) {
+          slf_table <- cbind(
+            slf_table,
+            arrow::read_parquet(
+              file = file_path,
+              col_select = "hscp2018",
+              as_data_frame = FALSE
+            )
+          )
+        }
         slf_table <- dplyr::filter(
           slf_table,
-          .data$recid %in% recids
+          .data$hscp2018 %in% partnerships
         )
+        if (remove_partnership_var) {
+          slf_table <- dplyr::select(slf_table, -"hscp2018")
+        }
       }
-      if (!is.null(partnerships)) {
+
+      if (!is.null(recids)) {
+        if (remove_recid_var) {
+          slf_table <- cbind(
+            slf_table,
+            arrow::read_parquet(
+              file = file_path,
+              col_select = "recid",
+              as_data_frame = FALSE
+            )
+          )
+        }
         slf_table <- dplyr::filter(
           slf_table,
-          .data$hscp2018 %in% partnerships
+          .data$recid %in% recids
         )
-      }
-      if (remove_partnership_var) {
-        slf_table <- dplyr::select(slf_table, -"hscp2018")
-      }
-      if (remove_recid_var) {
-        slf_table <- dplyr::select(slf_table, -"recid")
+        if (remove_recid_var) {
+          slf_table <- dplyr::select(slf_table, -"recid")
+        }
       }
 
       return(slf_table)
@@ -146,15 +171,16 @@ read_slf_episode <- function(
   }
   # TODO add option to drop blank CHIs?
   # TODO add a filter by recid option
-
-  data <- read_slf(
-    year = year,
-    col_select = unique(col_select),
-    file_version = "episode",
-    partnerships = unique(partnerships),
-    recids = unique(recids),
-    as_data_frame = as_data_frame,
-    dev = dev
+  return(
+    read_slf(
+      year = year,
+      col_select = {{ col_select }},
+      file_version = "episode",
+      partnerships = unique(partnerships),
+      recids = unique(recids),
+      as_data_frame = as_data_frame,
+      dev = dev
+    )
   )
 
   if ("keytime1" %in% colnames(data)) {
@@ -203,7 +229,7 @@ read_slf_individual <- function(
   return(
     read_slf(
       year = year,
-      col_select = unique(col_select),
+      col_select = {{ col_select }},
       file_version = "individual",
       partnerships = unique(partnerships),
       as_data_frame = as_data_frame,
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-multiple_years.R b/tests/testthat/test-multiple_years.R
index 1466a04..842d37f 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-multiple_years.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-multiple_years.R
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ test_that("read multiple years works for individual file", {
   indiv <- read_slf_individual(c("1718", "1819"),
     col_select = c("year", "anon_chi")
   ) %>%
-    dplyr::slice_sample(n = 100)
+    dplyr::group_by(year) %>%
+    dplyr::slice_sample(n = 50) %>%
+    dplyr::ungroup()
 
   # Test for anything odd
   expect_s3_class(indiv, "tbl_df")
@@ -35,7 +37,9 @@ test_that("read multiple years works for episode file", {
   ep <- read_slf_episode(c("1718", "1819"),
     col_select = c("year", "anon_chi")
   ) %>%
-    dplyr::slice_sample(n = 100)
+    dplyr::group_by(year) %>%
+    dplyr::slice_sample(n = 50) %>%
+    dplyr::ungroup()
 
   # Test for anything odd
   expect_s3_class(ep, "tbl_df")
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_episode.R b/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_episode.R
index da40af1..82f27bd 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_episode.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_episode.R
@@ -28,9 +28,8 @@ for (year in years) {
     expect_equal(nrow(ep_file), 110)
   })
 
-  # Need to come back to this test - some files have different lengths
-  # test_that("Episode file has the expected number of variables", {
-  #   # Test for correct number of variables (will need updating)
-  #   expect_length(ep_file, 241)
-  # })
+  test_that("Episode file has the expected number of variables", {
+    # Test for correct number of variables (will need updating)
+    expect_length(ep_file, 251)
+  })
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_individual.R b/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_individual.R
index 2fe1f9a..be9341e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_individual.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-read_slf_individual.R
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ test_that("Reads individual file correctly", {
     # Test for the correct number of rows
     expect_equal(nrow(indiv_file), 100)
 
-    # Need to come back to this test - some files have different lengths
-    # # Test for correct number of variables (will need updating)
-    # expect_length(indiv_file, 184)
+    # Test for correct number of variables (will need updating)
+    expect_length(indiv_file, 193)
   }
 })
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-tidyselect_columns.R b/tests/testthat/test-tidyselect_columns.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f85fdc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-tidyselect_columns.R
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+skip_on_ci()
+
+
+test_that("tidyselect helpers work for column selection in the episode file", {
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode("1920", col_select = dplyr::starts_with("dd")),
+    c("dd_responsible_lca", "dd_quality")
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode("1920", col_select = c("year", dplyr::starts_with("dd"))),
+    c("year", "dd_responsible_lca", "dd_quality")
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode("1920", col_select = !dplyr::matches("[aeiou]"))
+  )
+})
+
+test_that("col_select works when columns are added", {
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode("1920", col_select = "year", recids = "DD"),
+    "year"
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode("1920", col_select = "year", partnerships = "S37000001"),
+    "year"
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode(
+      "1920",
+      col_select = c("year", dplyr::contains("dd")),
+      recids = "DD"
+    )
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_episode(
+      "1920",
+      col_select = c("year", dplyr::contains("cij")),
+      partnerships = "S37000001"
+    )
+  )
+})
+
+test_that("tidyselect helpers work for column selection in the individual file", {
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_individual("1920", col_select = dplyr::starts_with("dd")),
+    c("dd_noncode9_episodes", "dd_noncode9_beddays", "dd_code9_episodes", "dd_code9_beddays")
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_individual("1920", col_select = c("year", dplyr::starts_with("dd"))),
+    c("year", "dd_noncode9_episodes", "dd_noncode9_beddays", "dd_code9_episodes", "dd_code9_beddays")
+  )
+  expect_named(
+    read_slf_individual("1920", col_select = !dplyr::matches("[aeiou]"))
+  )
+})