Coronavirus testing centre for NHS staff to open at Haydock Park Racecourse

The drive-through facility will be open from Thursday (tomorrow) and will initially be used predominantly to treat staff working in hospitals who have shown symptoms of COVID-19.

Sarah O’Brien, chief accountable officer for St Helens CCG, updated the government body of the development on Wednesday.

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Prof O’Brien, who is also the executive director for people’s services at St Helens Council, said the facility will be used for NHS staff and “hopefully” other front-line staff for the first few weeks.

The CCG chief said she did not know if the facility would open up for more mass testing in the future.

“Haydock Racecourse at some point in the next week, two weeks, up to 300 tests a day of front-line staff, which is really, really crucial,” prof O’Brien said.

“Particularly for getting staff back to work who at the moment aren’t working because they might have suspected coronavirus.”

The opening of a testing facility in Haydock is part of the government’s pledge to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month, following increasing pressure that it is not testing enough.

Sarah O’Brien, chief accountable officer for St Helens CCG and executive director of people's services at St Helens Council

A new coronavirus testing facility for NHS staff was set up near Manchester Airport last week.

This facility uses drive through testing bays, which are situated on an airport staff car park.

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On Wednesday, Prof O’Brien said NHS England and NHS Improvement have made it very clear the new facilities are “additional resources” on top of any testing being carried out by acute trusts and the small amount being carried out in the community by CCGs.

She said NHS staff will likely now be encouraged to go to the testing facilities in Manchester and Haydock if they show any coronavirus symptoms.