Frontline NHS staff must be testing priority

Sir, – Roderick Stewart’s obvious reverence for Prince Charles (Doing their duty on our behalf, Courier, April 1) seems to have blinded him from seeing the absurdity of the government’s testing priorities.

The prince left his official residence, Clarence House in London and moved to one of his private residences, Birkhall on Deeside, where he was tested by NHS Scotland.

There was perfectly understandable outrage that privilege ruled.

Even the most ardent royalist could not claim that the prince can play a significant role in the fight against Covoid-19.

That fight is led by the NHS workers, whether they be surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, porters or cleaners as well as ambulance crews, police and volunteers.

So far only around 2,000 of these key people have been tested and, thanks to UK policy, these tests have to be referred to a lab.

Only today it was confirmed that equipment capable of instant testing has been bought from China, before the monitoring body has cleared it for use, a case of making policy on the hoof.

All this in spite of the World Health Organization’s urgings from the start that testing was the main priority in the fight.

Many NHS staff have publicly voiced their fears for their own safety and some, tragically, have already died.

To point out the absurdity of the situation is not demonstrating pettiness but rather a grasp on reality.

We should be supporting our front line workers, not pampering princes.

Ken Guild. 76 Brown Street, Broughty Ferry.