NHS workers refused swabs at newly open test centres
DOCTORS and nurses were turned away from drive-through staff testing centres yesterday as it was revealed that only 2,000 NHS workers had been tested so far.
Hundreds had to queue at a pop-up facility in north-west London, with many workers refused a swab because they lacked proper paperwork.
The test centre at the Wembley Ikea car park, like others in Nottingham and Surrey, is a crucial element in the Government’s race to test NHS staff.
Ministers have been heavily criticised for abandoning staff testing, with thousands having to self-isolate when in fact they could be safe to work.
A row intensified yesterday after it emerged that just 2,000 staff had been tested. Yvonne Doyle, the medical director at Public Health England, said there was capacity for 3,000 tests a day, but that would increase to 25,000.
However, witnesses at the Wembley site yesterday said only six cars were processed in the first hour, causing significant queues.
Front-line workers require an NHS ID and an appointment email in order to be tested, although some claimed they could not open the link that confirmed their appointment.
Tasha Harriott, a community health nurse, said she was trying to return to work after two weeks’ absence caused by a suspicious cough.
“I’ve had the email, but the link isn’t working,” she said. “I’m here – in my uniform, with my NHS ID.
“I absolutely want to be on the safe side. But I’m worried people might die without my help.”
Chessington World of Adventures has also set up testing facilities.
One in four doctors is thought to be off sick or in self-isolation, according to the Royal College of Physicians.
Asked last night how many front-line workers were being tested, Prof Doyle said: “There is capacity, for example, today, for almost 3,000. But the important capacity is in the second strand, where we have five centres where people can drive through and get their testing done in order of priority.”