People in Wakefield struggling to book Covid tests amid huge capacity problems

Monday saw a "surge" of patients in the district presenting Covid symptoms but being told they were unable to book a test appointment, a public meeting was told.

The director of the government's test and trace programme apologised yesterday (Tues) as people across the country have struggled to access tests over recent days.

Wakefield's director of public health, Anna Hartley, said testing was a "massive issue" and that only people with symptoms should try to book a test.

Those who are identified as contacts of someone who's tested positive, but who do not have symptoms, should still self-isolate for 14 days but are being advised to not get tested until they do display symptoms.

Speaking at a meeting of Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group's (CCG) Board on Tuesday, local GP Dr Debbie Hallott, from Southgate Surgery, said: "Yesterday we had patients ringing up who were unable to get the test.

"I did look online for a patient while they were on the phone to me and it said there was no capacity and to try again in a few hours.

"I don't know about any other GPs but we had an actual surge in patients ringing up with Covid symptoms.

"Is it a capacity issue, a demand issue, or both?"

The government said on Tuesday that the issue was a delay in laboratories being able to dispense test results and deliver contact tracing information, rather than a problem at the test sites themselves.

In response to Dr Hallott, Ms Hartley said the test and trace programme's success depended on results being delivered promptly.

She added: "We need to protect the tests for people who are genuinely symptomatic, then we can do contact tracing accordingly.

"I know that requests for tests have doubled since children have gone back to school.

"This is going to be an issue over the next few months and I know the government are working incredibly hard and recruiting staff. It's a tricky issue.

"But we need to repeatedly explain to people that only those with symptoms should be trying to get a test.

"If you're asymptomatic and you're contact, adhere to the (14 day) isolation period."

Wakefield was taken off a government watchlist of high risk areas last Friday after the infection rate nearly halved over a fortnight.

However, Ms Hartley warned against "complacency" among the local public and urged people to continue to follow the guidelines.

She added: "When we first went on the watchlist a good few weeks ago we had clear clusters of cases that were linked to each other and were outbreaks.

"Now however, we haven't got any big outbreaks at the moment. But what we are seeing is more general spread, which isn't great to be honest, because that's something we want to avoid. We are keeping an eye on that."

Ms Hartley said small outbreaks in the district had been identified at two unspecified locations on Monday, but that these have been "closed off".

She said another potential outbreak, at a local factory, had been identified but that those who'd tested positive for Covid had contracted the virus outside of work.

Local Democracy Reporting Service