Only one in five social care workers access testing

The National Care Forum has revealed that only 22 per cent of social care workers, identified as having coronavirus symptoms, have been able to access testing.

The survey represents the perspectives of a wide range of organisations who between them employ 31,262 staff. Of these 6,469 were identified as being a priority for testing and attempts were made to get them tested. Less than a quarter (1,436) were actually tested (22 per cent).

Our survey shows that the employer portal is not working for social care employers. Using this route, only two per cent (138 out of 6,469) of staff were able to receive a test at drive-through centres, with no home testing being available on the system via this route. There is a significant manual backlog in the system, which means that large numbers of providers seeking to access testing via this route are not yet even entered onto the system, and there is no prioritisation for social care employers.

The self-referral portal appeared to prove more successful with 583 staff managing to get a test via this route. Out of this number, 546 attended drive-through appointments but only 37 received home testing kits. This route, whilst proving more successful, only enabled nine per cent of the staff who needed testing to obtain a test.

Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum, said: “The government’s promise to provide tests for all staff is exposed as pure words. Social care needs to be systematically prioritised in each and every testing system, in order for government to live up to its commitment.

“We are calling for: The prioritisation of social care employers through the Getting Tested Portal to ensure they have a strategic and targeted prioritisation of all their employees – regardless of symptoms as previously promised by the government and for social care workers to be given priority status on the self-referral portal.”