Coronavirus testing could be carried out in parks, churches and sports grounds

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Coronavirus testing could be carried out in parks, churches and even sports grounds under radical plan to increase number of patients being screened

  • Health officials are piloting six ‘walk through’ test centres across England 
  • The centres will be in Leeds, Newcastle, Rochdale, Brent, Newham and Slough
  • Many of the centres are located close by to high streets and shopping centres  

By Sophie Borland Health Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

Testing units could be rolled out in public gardens and churches under plans to increase the numbers of patients being swabbed.

Health officials want to make the process more accessible, especially in urban areas, which are most likely to see virus flare-ups in the coming weeks.

They are currently piloting six ‘walk-through’ test centres in Leeds, Newcastle, Rochdale in Greater Manchester, Brent in north-west London, Newham in east London and Slough in Berkshire – and more will be added if these are successful.

Many are located close to high streets and shopping centres – Brent’s unit is on a basketball court in a public garden while the one in Leeds is in a community church.

To further increase uptake, the Department of Health is planning to double the number of mobile testing units from 117 to 236 by the end of July. Above, a medical worker swabs a visitor at a drive-in facility at Chessington World of Adventures Resort

Although there are already 68 drive-through testing centres across the UK, most are situated out of town which makes them inaccessible for those without a car.

The Department of Health also hopes to boost public awareness about testing amid concerns many adults still don’t know everyone is now eligible for a swab if they have virus symptoms. 

Figures from the NHS test and trace programme yesterday showed 6,129 people tested positive for coronavirus in the last week, up to June 17. 

The Department of Health also hopes to boost public awareness about testing amid concerns many adults still don¿t know everyone is now eligible for a swab if they have virus symptoms

The Department of Health also hopes to boost public awareness about testing amid concerns many adults still don’t know everyone is now eligible for a swab if they have virus symptoms 

1 in 3 surgeons still to carry out operations

One in three surgeons has not yet resumed routine operations including hip and knee replacements, a survey reveals today.

Although the NHS announced plans to restart these procedures six weeks ago, many consultants have not been able to.

NHS guidelines state that anyone undergoing surgery must have had a negative Covid test result within the past 72 hours.

A survey of 1,741 surgeons by the Royal College of Surgeons found that 33 per cent said non-urgent operations had not yet restarted at their hospital.

Of those surveyed 36 per cent blamed a shortage of staff while 33 per cent cited a lack of testing for patients.

 Another 20 per cent blamed insufficient protective clothing with the remainder saying it was down to a lack of capacity in departments such as anaesthetics.

It comes as one in three paediatricians said they have seen children turn up later than expected for emergency care during the lockdown, including those with cancer.

So-called delayed presentations were thought to be a contributory factor in the deaths of nine children, according to a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal.

Medical experts have referred to the impact for children as ‘collateral damage’, including long absences from school.

 

But latest data from the Office for National Statistics suggests there are up to 3,200 new infections a day or 22,400 a week, suggesting fewer than a third of people are being tested.

To further increase uptake, the Department of Health is planning to double the number of mobile testing units from 117 to 236 by the end of July. 

Officials yesterday said 43,230 people had died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, up 149 from the day before.

Dido Harding, executive chairman of the test and trace programme, said: ‘Our new walk-through testing sites will be set up in places that are easy for people to get to by foot or on a bike.’

The Newcastle walk-in unit is close to an Asda supermarket, Slough’s is in a leisure centre, Rochdale’s is in a town hall car park and Newham’s is located in a community care centre.

Officials at the Department of Health say the location of the new sites will be driven by where residents are most likely to use them rather than a ‘national diktat’.

They hope the new units will improve the Government’s test and trace programme, which is meant to be playing a crucial role in the safe lifting of the lockdown. 

But figures from the scheme yesterday showed the numbers of patients handing over details of their close contacts had fallen compared to the previous week.

A total of 70 per cent were asked to provide these details for the week to June 17, while the remaining 30 per cent could not be reached. 

This dropped from the 75 per cent who gave contact details for the week to June 10.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: ‘There are still many questions that need answering before we can be confident that we have a fit for purpose regime, let alone a world class one.’ 

  • The retreat of the pandemic has stalled in England and the number infected may even have gone up, figures suggested yesterday.

Around one in 1,100 people were infected in the middle two weeks of this month – up from one in 1,700 in the first fortnight of June, findings published by the Office for National Statistics said.