I too drove past the Ironbridge testing station yesterday (the one on the park and ride carpark, don’t know if there’s another one?) twice, late morning and mid afternoon, both times it looked dead
I think the bottleneck is in the labs so the testing stations may look empty since there's little point in them collecting anything if the samples can't then be tested.
Took our lad to Haydock Racecourse drive-through test place on Monday eve. He had a bit of a cough.
It was not busy, but other parents were unable to get a slot there for some reason.
Still waiting for result, hopefully get it today.
We've been trying two days now, absolutely nothing available. This f'ing government. This level of demand was entirely predictable, the shortage is pure incompetence.
Briefly at one point we were offered one 60 miles away, clicked through the next screen and it crashed, started again, and nothing available again.
don't believe the wesite when it says "new slots are released at 8" I went in at 2pm and there was only far away slots, went back at 6pm and slots at the nearest test centre was there
Just seen a tweet from an MP stating that someone was sent from Coventry to Moffat for a test!
The symptoms requiring testing are cough, temp and loss of smell, but at my work we’ve been threatened with being sacked for negligence if we come to work and cause an outbreak, that means anyone with any cold/flu like symptoms wants to be tested.
So the problem with local demand spikes may be (1) Employers being dicks; (2) Employees being dicks. That may be a failing in gov to communicate effectively, but if employees come to work with flu-like symptoms in a normal year I'd suggest that is a stupid/selfish culture and probably bad for business.
OP – you could have arranged for a postal test kit.
is that a fact? I assumed the hysteria in the media meant no postal tests either?
Home tests have been in crisis since August, my MIL. took 5 days to get results,
only 19% of tests were back in 48hrs
Not media hysteria btw, that's according to governments own stats
The government encouraged everyone to get back to work & in resteraunts etc
There's always a lag in cases & hospitalisations, gonna be more so in younger population who seen to be asymptomatic & are more likely to work in hospitality, etc
This increase in demand was inevitable, only the government seem to have been caught off guard, mask wearing still seems to be optional in shops & on the trains.
There was a good article in the BMJ a few days ago that talks about the serious limitations with antibody testing at the moment. Its not surprising that current antibody tests come back negative for a lot of people who have had it, and a negative test doesn't necessarily mean they don't have any immunity.
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3364
I understand that there are also concerns with PCR testing (what the NHS test centers are using to say if you are currently infected) producing false positives in people who have traces of virus that has already been dealt with by their immune system.
We’ve been trying two days now, absolutely nothing available.
Home test kit? My experience is ordered day 1, delivered (via amazon) and swabs sent off day two, results emailed through day 4.
Love it how people always resort to this argument. It’s a shambles, it would have also been a shambles under Labour.
Oh I don't know.
Had to take my eldest for a test last week.
Test centre is 5 mins away, appointments available within 30 mins. Arrived to see a small queue, about 5 mins wait and they're currently running at 1/6th total capacity. Results back in 8 hours or so.
We're in Wales and it's being run by Labour Welsh Gov.
As I said according to government stats home testing is seeing bigger & bigger delays,
Love it how people always resort to this argument. It’s a shambles, it would have also been a shambles under Labour.
No one can say for sure, but Johnson missed 5 of the most crucial COBR meetings of any PMs career because he was busy on a 'working holiday' at Chevening (sorting out his divorce) when he did come back he & cabinet ignored all social distancing rules & gave each other covid, bragged about shaking hands with Covid patients.
Every single cabinet member backed the very very obvious eye test lies of Cummings rule breaking, whilst lecturing us about common sense.
both Hancock & Johnson have lied consistently & very publicly about testing. Appointed completely inappropriate Tory MPs wife Dido Harding to head up testing .....
Englands excess death rate leads the world
Can never say for sure , but it'd be hard to imagine them getting it much worse
sharkbait
Home test kit? My experience is ordered day 1, delivered (via amazon) and swabs sent off day two, results emailed through day 4.
How do you get one from Amazon? When I search i'm redirected to a page about how they're partnering with the NHS, further details to follow.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?node=21103026031
Asking via the NHS website however just gives the same "computer says no result" as i got earlier
We are in the middle of a pandemic. No-one has all the answers and no-one has a perfect system.
Jesus. Has it really got to the point where basic logistics is now seen as something that's unachievable by a vaguely competent government? The reason we as a country can't organise such a simple thing is because the entire system behind it is corrupt.
Serco et al are pocketing millions with almost no fear of comeback if they don't deliver. Time and again these services companies fail in their obligations, but then are given more contracts in future. No one is held accountable, no one suffers by doing a shit job, and no one wants to take responsibility. It's monopolism, and it comes with predictable results.
We have a local spike so there is a mobile testing centre in the leisure centre car park. Colleague lost sense of taste went to book a test nearest was kendal. There's at least 2 mobile and 1 permanent test centre closer. Including the one in the same town as him, not 75miles away.
Something's wrong somewhere.
How do you get one from Amazon?
No, you book through the NHS site and it's delivered through the Amazon network - or at least ours were to further N Wales.
why do we think there is a lack of available testing?
I don't think there is necessarily a lack of available testing, just a lack of ability to organise a piss-up in a brewery. There may well be a lack of capacity in terms of processing those tests in the lab, mind you.
Or a huge number of people who don't need a test, wanting a test.Then blaming the Govt when they can't get it, because it's oversubscribed, by them.
Awesome.
Let the Singletrack cancelling begin.
Matt Hancock on news this morning telling people oy test if you have symptoms
My brother's boss told all staff in office to get test as someone has tested +ve or he may have to close for good
He got a test this morning at mobile site this morning
We’re in Wales and it’s being run by Labour Welsh Gov.
Another vote for the Cardiff centre. We got an appt within 2 hours that evening, results in just under 24hrs
However I don't think they let you book for the following day, just the same day.
Or a huge number of people who don’t need a test, wanting a test.Then blaming the Govt when they can’t get it, because it’s oversubscribed, by them.
Can you share your data on the number of people who don't need a test but are requesting a test and I am also interested in what determines that they didn't need a test so you will need to supply that too.
My brother’s boss told all staff in office to get test as someone has tested +ve or he may have to close for good
So they had no symptoms but are having a test anyway (to check they haven't caught it from the +ve person) so they can reduce chance of spreading further. Are they the 'problem' that Matt Hancock and brads are referring to?
This morning's blame shifting towards people asking for tests has gone swimmingly I see. They may not be able to run a country, but they sure know how to create a narrative.
“Why are the number of tests being carried out decreasing at a time when you said you would be ramping them up to support your other measures of getting more people into the workplace, and all students back into the classroom?”
- divert - distract - blame the public -
“How many people are being tested?”
- release some other irrelevant and misleading figure instead -
Another vote for the Cardiff centre. We got an appt within 2 hours that evening, results in just under 24hrs
To be fair there are only 5 people living in Wales.
Glad to hear they have it right, local rules set dependent upon local circumstances does seem to work. Supports the argument for Scottish Independence, aside from not being able to afford it.
Given that the proportion of positive tests has risen sharply in recent days, shortage of tests cannot be due to a sudden influx of obviously non-symptomatic people demanding unnecessary tests.
And while a positivity rate of 1% might make it seem like a lot of people are getting unnecessarily tested, it's only by testing a lot of possibles (but not definites) that we have any chance of catching people soon enough to help.
To be fair there are only 5 people living in Wales.
That doesn’t explain why I had to drive my wife from Swansea to Builth to be tested, passing the local test centre (2 miles away).
It’s only 60 miles-ish, but a 3 hour round trip on slow roads, meaning we needed a pea-break! 🙄 (How’s that for limiting contagion? The Burger King next to the test centre must be the epicentre for secondary infection caused by people who’ve driven for hours through mid-Wales.)
We’re now waiting for the result - it’s been 26 hours....
retro83
How do you get one from Amazon? When I search i’m redirected to a page about how they’re partnering with the NHS, further details to follow.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?node=21103026031
Asking via the NHS website however just gives the same “computer says no result” as i got earlier
If anyone else needs it, it's currently available via gov website
https://coronavirus-home-testing.service.gov.uk
If anyone else needs it, it’s currently available via gov website
https://coronavirus-home-testing.service.gov.uk
There was a problem
There was a problem and we were unable to process your request for a home test. You will need to start again.
Try here: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
kelvin
Try here: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test/blockquote >
Thanks Kelvin, I somehow pasted the wrong link. 👍🏻
For clarity what I was trying to get across is that the same process I tried about 25 times is now working!
Given that the proportion of positive tests has risen sharply in recent days, shortage of tests cannot be due to a sudden influx of obviously non-symptomatic people demanding unnecessary tests.
Or possible that they have some sort of screening/vetting/prioritising process so that those most likely to be positive are being given convenient testing arrangements and those presumed to be lower risk are not - but are then more vocal about the issue on social media.
Leeds PhD student managed to get online and book a local test last night - in the test centre at 8 am this morning! So despite an initial mega fail, it did get sorted locally.
Or possible that they have some sort of screening/vetting/prioritising process...
The minister said this morning on Radio4 that this is not the case.
those presumed to be lower risk are not – but are then more vocal about the issue on social media
You're just making stuff up to fit the government narrative. The number of tests being completed has decreased, just as demand for them has increased due to changes the government were entirely in control of... this is not the fault of the public.
DrJ
Free MemberFriend of mine in Copenhagen was feeling a bit poorly. She walked right in to a test centre, got swabbed, result half an hour later.
But they’re not “world beating” I suppose.
...and, as noted by Matt Hancock, they're not being wasted by dangerous losers going for tests when they don't need to.
Honestly, when you think the government's mismanagement of this couldn't get any worse, they surprise you again!
Between "get back to work you lazy oafs", "get your kids into school or we'll fine you", "stop getting tested if you don't need it" and "uh, Bolton is now locked down", this really is following a fairly obvious and depressingly funny path
Just to kick the ball back the other way, I developed a cough last Thursday. Test booked in Harrogate at the ride-up / walk-up centre for 10am on the following morning. Results back within 18 hours (negative).
So it's working in some areas. If I'm going to be picky I was slightly unimpressed that arriving people in cars were being dealt with while I waited in the pedestrian area, and trying to floss your tonsils without a mirror is surprisingly challenging.
Update:
We've just managed to get one.
Thoroughly unpleasant experience. Particularly as the tests are self administered inside the car and without any medical knowledge, and alongside a lot of screaming, I've no idea if I got it far enough inside the lad's nose.
There will be a lot of false test results.
As a tip, if you get one appointment, just take as many people as you can, and they'll give you test.
As a tip, if you get one appointment, just take as many people as you can
To hold down the child while you swab his brain stem? 🙂
I must admit, when my time comes I'm not sure if I'm preferring throat or nose.
and without any medical knowledge, and alongside a lot of screaming,
That was our experience - so much so that we couldn’t get our 5 yo tested. In the end we got a home test and bribed him with chocolate. We ordered the test last Thursday, the sample was collected on Sunday. We still haven’t got the result.
just take as many people as you can, and they’ll give you test.
+1. Although we could only book our kids in (all adults were symptomless) in the end they tested us all.
I must admit, when my time comes I’m not sure if I’m preferring throat or nose.
It’s both, with the same swab.
It’s not pleasant. I can’t see many people rolling up to take a test just because they fancy one.
I've had three in total so far; the one done by someone who actually knew what they were doing was far more uncomfortable, to the extent that I don't know whether the two I did (before the other one) were actually meaningful or not.
Curiously, though @Houns said the Ironbridge site was deserted yesterday afternoon, yesterday evening the queue was three miles long! We were going somewhere nearby and I'm glad we managed to avoid getting stuck in it...
I must admit, when my time comes I’m not sure if I’m preferring throat or nose.
Aye it's both, first in the throat, then up the snoz, all the way to the brain.
10 seconds rubbing your tonsils was hard through. I was gagging.
Said the the Mrs, "you'll be ok though, you're used to having massive things rammed to the back of your mouth"
"WHY'S THAT DAD" said the 8 year old.
"Erm...oh nothing"
My wife got her result - negative - at about 7pm, having been tested at 10.30am yesterday.
She can now pick up her prescription for antibiotics, which is the reason she needed to go to the GP in the first place. We all knew she had sinusitis, but social responsibility and all that. It’s the first time the whole family’s been off with sinusitis!
Even on this thread there seems to be a few getting tested when they know they don't need to.
robowns
Love it how people always resort to this argument. It’s a shambles, it would have also been a shambles under Labour.
I've got no love for Labour, but I'll bet the contracts for tests etc would have gone to competent companies and by tender.
The problem is corruption in the current govt. It's time we replaced the PM Dominic Cummings. He's too short-sighted and one eyed.
It's going back to late July but even with plenty of capacity at the site 25miles away I was directed to one about 60miles away. Did get a local test but cant remember if it was by going through the whole process again or switching sites. As the crow flies the first option might be closer but not by much.
Just in terms of sorting out the yes loads of people are having to go miles or no they aren't question. You'd kind of think they would be able to get some form of report from the testing location database / system that tells you where people are coming from to each test centre. Just at a postcode level. Maybe I'm being a bit optimistic given the exam fiasco but if the government ethos is all about the data it's not unreasonable to expect it. It would cut down on the pantomime time that seems to go with anything they do at the moment.