Frontline health workers in Welshpool are facing an agonising wait of over four days to find out if they have Covid-19.
Despite Welsh Government and health chief pledges to return results within 48 hours, we can reveal that our area is lagging behind despite being right at the frontline against the devastating virus.
The Welshpool area has been hit hard by the spread of Covid-19, and sadly there have been several deaths reported.
Welshpool hospital (pictured) is also one of just three Powys Covid-19 centres to house recovering patients before they return home, but, despite this, one frontline health worker said they had to wait more than 96 hours for their results.
“It feels like a shambles when it comes to testing,” the worker, who asked not to be named, told us. “I fell ill with a high temperature so had the test straight away at Welshpool hospital, but it was five days later I found out I was negative and clear to work, and that was after chasing my results three times myself. At one point I was told it may take a week to get them back and kept getting told different reasons for the delay.”
In the 52 days since the first case in Powys was detected on March 11, just over 600 tests have been carried out, on average that is a little over 10 per day.
Last night, Powys Teaching Health Board said there was no clear indication why the Welshpool result took so long, but did confirm that all tests are sent to Cardiff.
A spokesperson said: “There are multiple steps in the process for taking, transporting, analysing and reporting on test results.
“If there is a delay in one of these steps, which may be outside of the control of the worker’s employing organisation or of the local health board, then this may lead to an increase in the overall length of time from collecting the sample to reporting the result.
“Results are checked daily with the aim of communicating this to individuals on the day the results become available.
“The aim is to ensure that results are reported wherever possible within 24 to 48 hours.”
MyWelshpool has also been made aware of a second Welshpool case where it took more than 72 hours for the result to return.
The testing process explained to us by PTHB:
All Covid-19 tests on critical workers go to laboratories in Cardiff to be processed, analysed and reported.
The overall process includes:
· collecting the sample from the worker
· transporting the sample to the laboratories in Cardiff
· preparation of the sample
· processing the sample
· reading, authorising and releasing the result.
The aim is to ensure that results are reported wherever possible within 24 to 48 hours.