NHSstaff urgedto dotwice weekly virustests
the Cross Tay Link Road will look
NHS Tayside staff are now voluntarily taking twiceweekly COVID tests.
The aim of the widespread introduction of rapid testing of staff is to reduce transmission of the virus.
The Scottish Government has asked Scotland’s health boards to roll out voluntary twice-weekly Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) to all staff who have contact with patients.
Staff being asked to volunteer to do the selftests include medical and nursing students, domestic staff, porters, volunteers and bank staff.
Asymptomatic NHS Tayside staff who are in direct or indirect contact with patients are being “strongly encouraged” to take part in the regular testing.
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “NHS Tayside is working closely with Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross health and social care partnerships to roll out asymptomatic Lateral Flow Testing (LFT) to all patientfacing staff working across hospital and community settings.
“LFT is an important part of our response to COVID-19 and it is hoped this additional self-testing by asymptomatic staff will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus in hospitals and in communities across Tayside.”
A Lateral Flow Test (LFT) is a nasal swab test which can be self-administered by staff at home or in the workplace.
The test kit comes with all the necessary instructions as to how to do the test.
Staff are being asked to do the test to try and detect COVID before symptoms appear and reduce the spread of the virus.