NHS Forth Valley say it's our responsibility to get tested for COVID-19

Residents of Falkirk are being told it is now more important than ever to come forward and get tested immediately if they have any COVID-19 symptoms.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

NHS Forth Valley had a crystal clear message in its latest briefing – if you have any coronavirus symptoms, be it a new persistent cough, a high temperature, or loss of sense of taste or smell, then you have a responsibility to get yourself tested.

Doctor Henry Prempeh, NHS Forth Valley public health consultant, said: “Testing capacity has doubled to the point we can do 500 tests a day. We must have this significant testing capacity for anyone who comes forward if they have any symptoms.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“If you have any symptoms you must get tested immediately – the capacity is there. Don’t wait for the symptoms to pass, go and get tested so we can detect if you do actually have the virus.

NHS Forth Valley public health consultant Doctor Henry Prempeh is urging people to get tested as soon as possive if they have any COVID-19 symptomsNHS Forth Valley public health consultant Doctor Henry Prempeh is urging people to get tested as soon as possive if they have any COVID-19 symptoms
NHS Forth Valley public health consultant Doctor Henry Prempeh is urging people to get tested as soon as possive if they have any COVID-19 symptoms

“The new test and protect programme will only work if people can go and get themselves tested. It will depend on each individual taking the responsibility to step forward.”

The Test and Protect programme, launched last month, means anyone in Scotland who has coronavirus symptoms will be able to get a test, and have their contacts traced if they return a positive result.

People who want to know how they go about getting tested can get information from the NHS Inform website,” added Dr Prempeh.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

According to Dr Prempeh, the swab testing being carried out in Forth Valley, which looks for the presence of viral genes in the nose or throat detects signs of an active infection, is more important at the moment than the much anticipated antibody testing, which is still some way off from being rolled out.

During the previous NHS Forth Valley briefing director of public health Doctor Graham Foster stated the antibody testing was “a really exciting development” because it could tell if someone has indeed had COVID-19 at any point in the past – not just if they had it at the moment.

This week Dr Prempeh said: “ The testing we are carrying out now tells us if people are currently infected with the virus. The problem with the antibody testing is scaling it up, so I don’t think it is anything we are going to see anytime soon.”

The new Test and Protect programme has not changed NHS Forth Valley’s procedures when it comes to staff who have become infected.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Prempeh said: “All our staff are fully aware of social distancing and they are all using the appropriate PPE. If a staff member does test positive for COVID-19 then they would be sent home to self isolate.

“We would not ask the colleagues they were working with to self isolate unless they started displaying symptoms and then tested positive for COVID-19.”

Responding to news of computer “glitches” in Fife, NHS Forth Falley medical director Doctor Andrew Murray said NHS Forth Valley had no concerns about the accuracy of the testing figures in NHS Forth Valley.

Visit www.nhsinform.scot for more information.