• News
  • Clinical
  • Professional
  • Students
  • Opinion
  • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Patients told to travel hundreds of miles as COVID-19 testing labs reach ‘critical’ capacity

The director of testing at NHS Test and Trace has confirmed labs have reached a "critical pinch-point". 

Share  
Tweet  
by James McKay
08/09/2020

Shutterstock

Patients are being told to travel hundreds of miles to get tested.

Across the country, patients have been left with no access to COVID-19 testing as testing laboratories reach their “critical” capacity.

Reports are also emerging across social media of patients being told to travel hundreds of miles to their nearest availaible testing facility.

The director of testing at NHS Test and Trace has confirmed that while testing sites have capacity, laboratories have reached a “critical pinch-point”.

Sarah-Jane Marsh, tweeted; “Can I please offer my heartfelt apologies to anyone who cannot get a COVID test at present.

“All of our testing sites have capacity, which is why they don’t look overcrowded, its our laboratory processing that is the critical pinch-point.

She followed up with: “We have additional NHS, Lighthouse, University and Partner Labs all due to open up imminently and we are also expanding the use of non-Laboratory based tests.

“The Testing Team work on this 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Get a grip.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chair of Council for the British Medical Association, said; “The admission from Test and Trace’s own director of testing that lab capacity is at ‘critical pinch point’ underlines the urgent need for the Government to get a grip on the testing system that is clearly not delivering.

“In recent days we’ve heard concerning reports from doctors that they or their patients are unable to access tests and follow-up results at what is a critical time in the fight against Covid-19. These doctors are themselves frustrated but equally concerned for patients who are contacting them unsure of what to do.

“We’ve seen numbers of cases rise exponentially in the last two days, with warnings for the public not to be complacent – yet such a failure in testing strategy completely undermines any attempt to bring the infection rate down.

“An effective test and trace system is crucial in managing our response and reducing case numbers, and if people cannot get tested then there is no way of identifying local outbreaks and minimising community spread.”

“The Government must provide an urgent update on how it plans to address this failure that seriously threatens England’s ability to reduce the spread of this deadly virus.”

ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR

We face ‘an unrelenting tsunami’ if restrictions are lifted for Christmas, warn nurses

18/12/2020

Students and bank workers should be vaccinated alongside regular employees, instructs NHS England

08/01/2021

Patient safety at risk as hospitals further dilute staffing levels, warns RCN

15/01/2021

Scotland confirms it has no plans to deploy student nurses on paid clinical placements

17/01/2021

Stressed, overworked nurses are missing meals to pay bills

17/12/2020
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT


the Handover

Nursing news and clinical updates direct to your inbox.



Your data is held in accordence with our Privacy Policy.

Related Posts

Education

Scotland confirms it has no plans to deploy student nurses on paid clinical placements

17/01/2021
Clinical

Patient safety at risk as hospitals further dilute staffing levels, warns RCN

15/01/2021
Workforce

PHE and DHSC reject nurses plea for ‘a higher level PPE’

15/01/2021
Education

NMC reintroduces paid clinical placements and emergency standards for student nurses

14/01/2021
Research

ICU nurses at risk of PTSD, severe anxiety or problem drinking due to COVID trauma, finds study

14/01/2021
Professional

NMC to further expand its temporary register

13/01/2021
News

‘Empty hospitals’ group shut down by Facebook for spreading ‘misinformation’

12/01/2021
News

Trust ask staff ‘to go directly to the hospital’ as it struggles to cope

11/01/2021
NursingNotes

NursingNotes has been created for nurses by nurses.

Follow Us

Top Categories

  • Clinical
  • Education
  • Health Politics
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Professional
  • Research
  • Resources
  • Sponsored
  • Workforce

Recent Posts

  • Scotland confirms it has no plans to deploy student nurses on paid clinical placements
  • Patient safety at risk as hospitals further dilute staffing levels, warns RCN
  • PHE and DHSC reject nurses plea for ‘a higher level PPE’
  • NMC reintroduces paid clinical placements and emergency standards for student nurses
  • Agenda for Change NHS Pay Bands
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • About us
  • Contact us

© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Clinical
  • Professional
  • Students
  • Opinion
  • COVID-19

© 2019 NursingNotes.co.uk

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.