VIRUS TESTING FIASCO (CONT.)
Chaos as 30,000 results are ‘missing’ Care home bosses issue new warning Fresh fears over contact trace plan
MORE than 30,000 Covid-19 test results are unaccounted for in Scotland, prompting fears there are significantly more cases than Nicola Sturgeon has revealed.
In the latest fiasco to hit the testing process north of the Border, it has emerged data from swabs taken from as far back as mid-April is still being processed.
This means the figures have not been included in the tally of confirmed coronavirus cases, which now tops 14,100.
The test issue follows a lack of availability for key staff and the scottish Government’s failure to use the full screening capacity.
At her daily press briefing, Miss sturgeon announced yesterday that 14,117 scots have been diagnosed with Covid-19.
But it also emerged that the results of 30,708 tests carried out at drive-through sites as well as mobile regional testing centres run by the military have not been accounted for. The screenings were set
up by the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care and help to supplement the capacity of the NHS in Scotland.
A further 107,252 tests have been carried out by Scotland’s NHS. The unaccountedfor tests make up 22 per cent of all those carried out.
The Dundee Courier yesterday reported that it had seen an internal briefing sent out by NHS Tayside which admits it does not know the results of tests from the centres set up by the UK Government. However, those who underwent the screenings are said to be aware of their result.
Miss Sturgeon claimed yesterday that the figures will be released in the coming days.
The centres affected are in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness and Perth.
Meanwhile, it also emerged yesterday that a drive-through testing facility at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow has closed due to a lack of demand.
The BBC reported that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde made the decision but stressed the centre could be reopened within 24 hours, if needed.
Scottish Labour health spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘This process is unfit for purpose. Results are needed by individuals and authorities within a few hours if a test, trace and isolate strategy is to work effectively.
‘The Scottish Government needs to get a grip of this quickly.’
Last week, Miss Sturgeon said it was believed 26,000 people had the virus.
Speaking yesterday she said: ‘The tests that are coming through the UK-wide part of the system, which is the drive-through centres, the lab at Glasgow University, we had a slight delay in getting the results. I should say the people being tested were getting the results.’
But she also claimed that not having the results had not affected her decision on how or when to ease the lockdown.
It was confirmed yesterday that the death toll in Scotland in cases where someone has tested positive for the virus has risen by 34 to 2,007.
There are currently 1,100 people in hospital with confirmed Covid-19. Of these, 61 patients are in intensive care.
Care home bosses warned hundreds of staff could be carrying the virus and possibly infecting residents.
The Scottish Daily Mail revealed yesterday care home workers had tested positive for Covid-19 despite displaying no symptoms – leading to calls for twice-weekly testing.
On BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime show, Gary Smith of the GMB trade union, said: ‘The evidence we are starting to see is 30-40 per cent or more of care workers in private care homes, when they have been tested, have no symptoms but they are Covid-19 positive.
‘That is a massive challenge – if you were to test every care home in Glasgow – 150/160 care homes for instance – and 30-40 per cent of the workforce were Covid-19 positive and had to be sent home, you are facing a service that would almost certainly collapse.’
Concerns were also raised yesterday that Scotland is being ‘left behind’ other countries in easing lockdown because of poor progress in recruiting contact tracing staff.
The Scottish Government was yesterday unable to confirm how many staff have been identified to take up the 2,000 posts it wants filled by the end of the month.
Miss Sturgeon also yesterday appeared to step back from a pledge the staff would be recruited by the end of May.
Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: Ministers need to answer why we’re so far behind other countries in developing this vital service.’
Asked how many staff had been identified to take up posts as contact tracers, the Scottish Government said there have been more than 3,500 ‘expressions of interest’.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The 2,000 is what we think we will need as we scale this up over time. Health boards are already working – within their own current staff base – to retrain people to do contact tracing. So this is an ongoing process and the recruitment is over and above that.’
Robert Kilgour, boss of Renaissance Care, said 233 of his residents had been tested – with 25 found to have the virus
‘Process is unfit for purpose’ ‘A massive challenge’
without showing symptoms. Ten asymptomatic staff were also positive.
He added ‘People have, very sadly, died because of a lack of availability of testing.’ Last night, an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: ‘Gartnavel General Hospital is one of our testing centres and not currently required. We are monitoring referrals on a daily basis and are able to reopen the centre within 24 hours’ notice if it is required.’
The UK Government said all testing data had been sent to Scottish officials. Miss Sturgeon made clear in her briefing that while the Scottish Government has the data, it has not been included in the daily totals as it is being analysed.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘It is completely incorrect Scotland are missing the data relating to 30,000 tests. Testing data is sent to Scotland on a daily basis and has been for weeks.’
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