Local test shortage forces pensioner into 10-mile trip
A SEVERELY ill pensioner was forced to travel more than 10 miles from their home for a Covid-19 test when home testing kits ran out.
The West Lancashire resident required testing after falling ill with several symptoms but was forced to make the journey as no testing sites were available across the entire borough.
They had contacted 119, the NHS coronavirus testing service, but were told that no home testing kits were available and that they should instead travel to Haydock, Blackburn or Manchester to be tested.
With family becoming increasingly concerned, they arranged for this constituent to travel to Haydock for testing.
West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper said she was disgusted about the lack of access to testing and that those with symptoms were being forced to place themselves and others at risk by travelling so far.
She said: “This is utterly scandalous. My West Lancashire constituents cannot get access to a test either at a nearby testing site or through a home kit.
“With limited transport links across much of the constituency, how on earth are those without a car meant to get tested? Not that you would want those concerned about having Covid travelling on public transport anyway.
“So if you don’t have a car, what do you do? You are just left to your own devices, maybe to show up at A&E or a walk-in centre putting others at risk.
“In this urgent case I contacted the West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group but couldn’t get through to anyone. They eventually responded 12 hours later, hardly the response you expect for an urgent issue.”
The Labour MP has since written to the CCG’s chief officer, the chief executive of Lancashire County Council and Baroness Dido Harding, Head of NHS Test and Trace and Chair of the new National Institute for Health Protection to ask what they will do for those living in West Lancs.
She added: “Whether they will be setting up a testing facility or at least arrange to have enough home tests available at all times! It can’t be acceptable to run out of kits in Lancashire, an area of substantial risk which includes Skelmersdale.
“I have heard there may be occasional pop-up testing events but how are people to know about this? Tweets won’t speak to many thousands of my constituents, generally the older, more vulnerable residents who might not be online or on social media.
“Government and health authorities need to get a grip of this quickly and not think they can forget about West Lancashire and leave communities at risk.”