Forum Topic

Why no proper testing facility?

Having been tested this last week found that I had to go to Richmond to be tested.Whilst online there are No facilities in Ealing or Hounslow boroughs apart from two day pop up centres in poor locations for pedestrian access and for those with symptoms.How mad is that?The Army mobile units are supposed to be for small towns and villages and hotspot areas. For limited numbersBut there are three facilities in Richmond Borough  two of which are permanent and the third a mobile unit.Why is this and the run down of Ealing Hospital so off the Councils Radar ?Why have Richmond and Kingston got it so much better organised?Yet L B Ealing is in the top 5 of cover deaths and infections and Richmond in among the lowest.So it's not rocket Science, why are there no proper testing facilities in Either Borough?

Raymond Havelock ● 1815d7 Comments

Paul Nurse is 'a known Labour supporter', so that counts him out. Most of the other major anti-virus contracts have been given to large private consultancies and outsource providers, many of whom have limited experience in the field and varied success in the past.  Equally, existing public sector or local authority expertise is being ignored. I suppose this is all a handy trial run for the post-virus future.

Peter Evans ● 1812d

Healthcare firm who employed Owen Paterson MP as an advisor, given £133m coronavirus testing contract.  Randox Laboratories hired as part of Matt Hancock’s promise to carry out 100,000 tests a day. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/11/healthcare-firm-advised-by-owen-paterson-won-133m-coronavirus-testing-contract-unopposed?fbclid=IwAR0i9cv_W1Ak37louigmbst-oI9-2EO1VVDiJJnQVTZmC8alm22OHFaicmUIs this the reason why advice given by Paul Nurse, Director of the Crick Institute, “to show Britain's Dunkirk spirit and let "small ship" laboratories help tackle the coronavirus crisis by testing for the disease.” was not taken up?

Libby Kemp ● 1812d

https://lowdownnhs.info/news/testing-for-covid-19-an-unresolved-fiasco/

Philippa Bond ● 1813d

Have you had a look online as to whether your local surgery has tests available? There aren't enough tests and apart from NHS and key workers they are only being offered to people with symptoms.  The tests have a fairly high failure rate so it will be interesting when an antibody test is available to find out whether whatever you did have earlier in the season or even during this epidemic was this particular virus.It is obvious that testing should go to the main workplaces where workers who may be asymptomatic are.  Are you sure that they aren't testing staff at Ealing Hospital?  Since staff work rotas it is harder to test everyone at one time.  I thought hospitals were getting their tests done faster for their staff than for other people with symptoms using the drive through testing stations.E-bikes are very popular.  Did you try the Lime bikes that were around?  (Haven't seen any recently presumably because they can't be wiped down between users.)

Philippa Bond ● 1814d

The answer to that is not anywhere near enough.Over 60 million people in this country and not one politician or expert has mentioned this being an Island.200,000 tests is not even a percentage of significance.But if you are on the eligibility list and have symptoms what on earth are you doing out as a pedestrian?  Pragmatic joined up thinking is far from the forefront.  More resources seem to be going into how to force people to ride a bike to work in a city full of hills!

Raymond Havelock ● 1814d

Gurnell. 11 & 12 May. Read who is eligible.https://www.egfl.org.uk/news/2020/05/covid-19-testing-centre-gurnell-leisure-centre

Philippa Bond ● 1814d

I have just read about Chessington drive through testing centre. Unbelievable. Then I read tests were slowed as we had run out of a certain chemical, is this true? I read your story Raymond and believe every word. So much is still wrong with testing in this country. Thanks for your very detailed post.

Nicholas Beard ● 1814d