THE government said it is “determined” to ensure everyone who needs a coronavirus test will get one following concerns people are being asked to travel as far as Doncaster.
A drive-through testing facility at Haydock Park Racecourse – part of a growing network around the UK – has been operational for around three weeks.
Initially the centre was predominantly for frontline NHS staff but has been opened up to other key workers and friends and family who are symptomatic.
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The Haydock testing centre is part of the government’s ambitious plans to carry out 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month – with Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling the daily coronavirus press conference today that more than 81,000 tests were performed on Wednesday.
Tests in Haydock have been gradually increasing since it opened earlier this month, but reports surfaced over the weekend of a family member of a local NHS worker being directed to Doncaster after trying to book a test online.
A screenshot backing up the claim was shared on Twitter by Labour councillor, Seve Gomez-Aspron.
A health worker contacted me this morning. One of their members of family may have #Coronavirus symptoms. They’ve tried to book a test. The closest is Doncaster Airport. The 3 hour round trip from here is almost certainly the easiest way to spread it to everyone in the car. pic.twitter.com/l8z8jt6F8a
— Sev Gomez-Aspron (@superseveriano) April 26, 2020
In response, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the “vast majority” of people who have been tested so far have had no issues.
“Our aim as we tackle this virus is to make it easy, fast and simple for any essential worker who needs a test to get a test,” a DHSC spokesman said.
“In addition to setting up a nationwide network of drive in testing sites, we have introduced home testing kit delivery, deployed mobile testing units operated by the Armed Forces, and built three new ‘mega labs’ to analyse test samples.
“This is in addition to more than doubling the capacity of the NHS and Public Health England laboratories, all in a matter of weeks.
“632,794 people have now been tested in the UK, and the vast majority report no issues with the process.
“We are determined to ensure that everyone who needs a test can get one.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock set the target of carrying out 100,000 COVID-19 tests a day in England by the end of April at the beginning of this month, following mounting pressure that the government was not testing enough.
Following this announcement, the government embarked on an ambitious plan to open up 50 regional test centres by the end of the month.
As of 9am on April 29, there have been 818,539 tests carried out across the UK, with 52,429 tests on April 28.
Cllr Gomez-Aspron, Labour councillor for Newton, said going forward the government needs to ensure the capacity exists at testing centres like the one in Haydock.
“The NHS and Public Health England are doing a tremendous job in such difficult times,” he said.
“The facility at Haydock is a credit to the service and well located.
“If the government are committed to ramping up the test and trace policy, which is vital to succeed against coronavirus, then the government need to ensure that the capacity exists at places like Haydock Park Racecourse which covers a vast urban area.
“Otherwise, service users can panic that Doncaster and Birmingham are their only options.
“I’m confident that procedures are in place to address this and welcome the roll out to include care home and other frontline staff and welcome the statement and clarity from DHSC.”
The government has faced some criticism over the location of some of the centres, with critics saying they are inaccessible to workers who do not drive.
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In response, the government said it is issuing thousands of home testing kits every day.
It is also using mobile testing units, operated by the Armed Forces, which travel around the UK. The objective is to deploy 96 of these mobile testing units during May.
An application for a mobile testing unit in St Helens for health and care workers has been made by St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
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