Covid in Scotland: Fears over speed of test results
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NHS staff in Scotland are not getting coronavirus test results quickly enough, doctors have claimed.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow has called for the testing programme to be "re-examined" as demand on the health service increases.
Nursing unions said the testing regime had improved but delays to results was putting pressure on the NHS.
Health and social care workers have the top priority access to testing.
The Scottish government said the testing of NHS workers was part of a wider testing strategy review but pointed out that NHS staff tests on average take just over 27 hours when processed within the same board.
Concerns have also been raised about the turnaround in care homes with some staff waiting a week for test results, according to industry leaders.
Professor Jackie Taylor, president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and a consultant geriatrician, told Good Morning Scotland: "The testing strategy is something that really does need to be re-examined, we are growing the capacity within Scotland but it isn't just about capacity, what we need is the rapid turnaround of testing.
"And that is true of patients right the way through to be being able to test staff who may have been exposed, and in fact probably testing staff in hotspots who don't have symptoms.
"If we want to keep as many of our healthcare professionals at work then it's really important we have the right capacity."
Prof Taylor said there was concern in the NHS about demand in the coming weeks as cases continue to rise, especially as the routine procedures are still continuing.
'Pressure on workforce'
Theresa Fyffe, Scotland director of the Royal College of Nursing, added: "There's no doubt there has been improvement in testing, sometimes we have found the delay in getting the results has caused a pressure on workforce.
"Having results back as quickly as possible, ensuring the workforce can continue working, where they can, is really important."
All NHS staff, including community pharmacy and emergency dental care, and all social care workers are in the top priority group for testing.
New guidance, which includes increasing the time allowed for visits and allowing hand holding, has been issued for Scotland's care homes
Meanwhile, Donald Macaskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, has warned of "considerable variation" in turnaround times for care home worker test results, with some workers waiting up to seven days.
He said this was undermining confidence in the system to the extent that some care homes may not relax the rules on visiting residents.
Mr Macaskill said: "Some organisations may make the decision locally that they, because of their experience with poor testing, do not have the confidence that they are not increasing the risk to the resident."
The Scottish government said it will take control of the weekly care home testing regime, which is currently carried out at the UK government's facilities in Scotland.
It is hoped this will speed up the turnaround times for testing.
On NHS testing, a Scottish government spokeswoman said tests for healthcare workers is part of a wider review of the testing strategy.
She said: "Across the majority of health boards the routine tests are carried out in the workplace and processed through the NHS laboratory.
"NHS tests on average take just over 27 hours, when processed within the same board, from swab taken to generation of result.
"Healthcare workers are also offered testing if they are working on non-Covid wards where there is an unexpected cluster."
The spokeswoman added that since June, asymptomatic healthcare staff in specialist wards such as oncology wards have been offered weekly tests.
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