NHS worker hit by Covid testing chaos

IN May, just after the Covid-19 pandemic started in the UK, it was easy to book an online test. By September the system was in chaos.

I am an NHS worker. I rang the NHS 111 service at midday on Sunday, September 13, as my asthma was bad and I was not able to control it with my inhaler, which has also caused me to be sick.

My asthma is normally very well controlled, but I had developed flulike symptoms. I was advised by the helpline that I needed to self-isolate and that we needed to self-isolate as a family, which I totally understood.

I was informed that if a clinician did not call me back within 30 minutes my case would be escalated to the ambulance services. I waited until 2pm and still no call back from 111.

I rang again and was told I had been referred to the ambulance services due to my breathing. I explained I did not require that, just required a steroid inhaler to relieve my symptoms.

They explained that what I had told them triggered an ambulance response and that one was on its way.

The ambulance service in Nottingham telephoned at about 3.30pm to say they were extremely busy and that I would have to wait a long time for an ambulance to arrive.

I asked them if they had any Covid-19 swab testing kits and was told they had none on their vehicles. I was also told that if they were to take me to A&E I would have to go into the Covid-19 walk-in and that they probably would send me somewhere else to obtain a Covid swab.

As my asthma put me at a higher risk of catching the virus, I did not want to be exposed to a lot of people with suspected Covid-19.

I said I would wait until tomorrow (Monday) and book a telephone consultation with my GP.

Trying repeatedly to book an online appointment for a Covid-19 test, all I got back is that there were no test sites or home test kits available. I was unable to go back to work before 14 days without a negative swab and my husband and son were similarly forced to stay at home.

I drove down to Victoria Park, in Leicester, from Melton, to be turned away, as I had no appointment, a rule change imposed by the government. I explained to the testing site staff that I worked for the NHS and I was still turned away.

I was also told I may have to travel to a different county for my swab test.

I explained I had tried to book an appointment via the government website and was unable to as it was busy. There were no home test kits available either.

I then visited the Birstall park and ride test centre and was basically told the same things. I was basically then told “To turn the car around, as I was blocking the traffic”.

This is how the government treats NHS staff who have been on the frontline looking after sick Covid-19 patients and putting their own lives at risk. It is appalling.

Forced to self-isolate, I felt very sad to call myself a nurse when I could not even get back to looking after the people that need me the most.

My biggest concern is that if nurses are exposed to Covid-19, what happens if they become symptomatic themselves and cannot even book a date to have a swab test performed?

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