Coronavirus: test response times lengthen in England

People who use community coronavirus testing centers in England are waiting longer for their results, the figures show.

Only a third of the tests conducted in community settings returned within 24 hours in the week through September 9.

That’s down from two-thirds of the week before, NHS Test and Trace said.

Access to community testing has had to be rationed because labs are struggling to keep up with demand, but this is the first evidence that tests being run are taking longer to process.

There are three types of community testing centers: vehicle services, walk-in centers, and mobile units that are deployed in hotspot areas.

All three saw increases in response times.

• Average response times for regional drive-through centers increased from 20 hours to 27 hours, with 38% returned in 24 hours.
• For local walk-in centers, the average was 35 hours, with only one in five results delivered within 24 hours
• Mobile units performed better with an average of 26 hours, compared to 19 the previous week. About 38% of the results occurred in 24 hours.

During the week, 360,000 tests were carried out in these three environments, up from 320,000 the previous week.

The posting of response times comes as a growing number of people complain that they can’t access the tests at all.

Reserve spaces at test sites, as well as the availability of kits that are posted in people’s homes, have been restricted across the UK because labs cannot keep up with demand.

It has meant that testing has had to be prioritized for high-risk areas, including residences and areas where there are local outbreaks.

Experts warn that the problems will limit the UK’s ability to contain the spread of the virus.

Hospital labs, which process tests for NHS patients and staff, are not affected by the problems. Almost nine out of 10 tests are done in 24 hours.

The government said testing capacity would increase. Currently, 375,000 tests can be processed per day, although only about 160,000 of these are in the laboratories that process the tests in the community.

Two new laboratories are slated to open soon, bringing total capacity to 500,000 by the end of October, with another two scheduled for early 2021, the government said.

Head of NHS Test and Trace, Baroness Dido Harding, said: “We are working tirelessly to increase testing capacity so that everyone who needs a test can get it.”

“I cannot stress enough how important it is that only those with symptoms book exams. The service is there for those who experience a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell.

“If you have no symptoms but think, or the NHS Test and Trace has told you that you have been in contact with someone with the virus, stay home but do not book a test,” he said.

“We need everyone to help make sure the tests are available to people with symptoms who need them.”