Covid testing procedure ‘a shambles’
THE Covid-19 testing procedure in West Wales has been described as “a shambles” – by a woman who had to drive more than an hour to get a test for her teenage son only for him to be sent away without having one.
The incident centres around two testing stations in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area – at the United Counties Showground on the outskirts of Carmarthen and at the Pembrokeshire Archives site in Haverfordwest.
Kimberley Jones, from Dryslwyn, near Llandeilo, said she spent a whole day trying to book a test for her 17-year-old son, both online and by calling 119, only to be left frustrated every time.
Her desire to get a test booked stemmed from the fact that her son began feeling unwell at the end of last week. Due to his symptoms, which included a high temperature, she contacted her employer and explained that she, along with other members of her family, would be self-isolating.
What happened next, she said, was a nightmare.
“From 7.30am on Tuesday morning, every half an hour, all day, I was trying to book a test,” said Miss Jones.
“I was unable to book a slot so I called 119 and eventually, after 20 minutes, I got through. I was then told by the person on the phone that they could not help me because the system was down.
“So I kept trying throughout the day, up until midnight, but no luck. Online, it took me as far as selecting a test centre, but Carmarthen was not an option, only Haverfordwest, but when I then tried to select a day I just got the message ‘no slots available.’
“I wanted to get tested myself to be on the safe side, but according to the guidelines you have to have one of the three symptoms, which I don’t have. But my son does. I didn’t have a clue what to do. At one point Aberystwyth was another option.”
Finally, on Wednesday morning, Miss Jones was able to book a test at the testing centre in Haverfordwest – around 45 miles from her home.
However, that was not the end of the drama.
“I drove all the way to Haverfordwest – over an hour from my home – to get to the allocated slot, only to be told that they were closed and that I would have to go online to rearrange,” added Miss Jones.
“I was quite angry at this point and explained that I had driven over an hour with my unwell son in the car, having spent all day the previous day and that morning trying to book a test.
“I insisted that he needed to be tested today. At that point a call was made and I was told he could have one in Carmarthen at 5.30pm.
“So I drove all the way back to Carmarthen, after a wasted journey of around two hours, there and back, so that he could have the test.
“I’m pleased now that it’s been done, but it was unbelievably difficult to do so. To be honest, it was an utter shambles. It’s just not good enough and it needs to be improved drastically.”
The testing system in place across Wales and indeed across the UK has come under fire in recent days, with BMA Cymru Wales council chair, Dr David Bailey, saying last week: “We’ve heard concerning reports from members of the public, unable to access Covid-19 tests due to labs reaching capacity.
“We have reached a critical point in the fight against Covid-19 and this failure in the testing strategy is quite frankly appalling.”
Across the UK, around 220,000 tests are processed each day, according to UK Government figures released last week, and there is a capacity for more than 350,000 a day - including swab tests and antibody tests.
However, an increased demand for tests has left the system unable to cope in places, leading to a difficulty in booking tests and getting slots at convenient times or locations.
According to Public Health Wales, more than 24,000 people have been tested in Carmarthenshire, more than 14,000 in Pembrokeshire, and more than 6,000 in Ceredigion, the other county that makes up the part of Wales covered by Hywel Dda University Health Board.
In that area, there have, up until Sunday, been 1,383 positive cases of coronavirus since the outbreak began: 943 in Carmarthenshire, 344 in Pembrokeshire, and 96 in Ceredigion.
Hywel Dda University Health Board, Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government have all been asked to comment on the concerns about testing raised by Miss Jones.