Covid-19 home testing kit request a 'useless exercise' across many parts of Highlands, claims Labour MSP

Communities across Caithness and Sutherland are among large swathes of the Highlands and Islands where any request for a Covid-19 home testing kit is a "useless exercise", a north MSP has found.

Labour's Rhoda Grant says it makes a mockery of government announcements advising people to get a coronavirus test if they have symptoms.

Prompted by constituents saying they could not receive a home test, the Highlands and Islands MSP asked the Scottish Parliament Information Centre to research a list of all areas where tests could not be delivered.

The research revealed that people in Inverness and Moray were covered, but large areas were not – including numerous postcodes in Caithness and Sutherland along with the Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland, Ross-shire, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch as well as Argyll and Bute.

Mrs Grant said she was shocked by the results.

“Alarm bells rang for me when two constituents living just 50 or 60 miles from Inverness, in two different areas, discovered they could not get a home testing kit,” she said.

“However, I wasn’t prepared for the research to find that most of the region could not get a test delivered to their door. This is disgraceful and shows, once again, how we are just missed out of government planning and development.

“While the Scottish and UK governments are quick to highlight mobile, permanent and walk-in testing units, some constituents may not have transport or be able to use transport to these centres and they may be miles away, or be a carer for someone more vulnerable.

“If people can’t get access to testing it makes a mockery of all the government announcements on ‘if you have symptoms get a test’. It just beggars belief.

"The Scottish Government cannot wash its hands of this and blame the UK government. It has to represent people in our region.”

Mrs Grant took up the issue with Scotland's health secretary, Jeane Freeman, and with NHS Highland.

NHS Highland’s new chief executive, Pam Dudek, told her: “I am afraid that access to postal Covid testing as part of the UK testing service is still not possible in many parts of NHS Highland and we have not been able to get access across the whole area.

“This relates to the configuration of the UK postal testing system and is not connected to the way local laboratory tests are carried out.

“Other testing routes are available, such as the mobile units and assessment centres, but these may not be suitable for people who do not have access to transport. There is potential for individual arrangements to be made for transporting people to tests, but this will not be possible in all cases.

"We are continuing to look for ways to expand testing and to facilitate home testing in areas without access to the postal service, but I am sorry that this is not yet in place and recognise the frustration that it causes.”

Scotland's public health minister, Joe FitzPatrick, who replied for Ms Freeman, said in his response: “Clearly the pressure on the UK system is intense and we need the testing programme to work for all of the UK, to be able to flex to meet the changing profile of this virus and to be accessible to all people regardless of circumstances.

"We agreed to take part in a UK-wide testing network in good faith, foregoing consequential funding as a result, as this was and ideally remains the most effective efficient way of securing access to test kits and lab capacity.”

The main NHS lab in Highland is at Raigmore in Inverness.

The list of postcodes to which Covid-19 tests cannot be delivered, as uncovered by Mrs Grant, includes those for Wick and John O’Groats, Thurso and the north coast from Skerray to East Mey, Lybster, Latheron, Dunbeath, Berriedale, Halkirk, Brora, Golspie, Ardgay, Dornoch, Lairg, Rogart, Helmsdale, Kinbrace and Forsinard.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “NHS Highland can support local communities to access testing if they are unable to access UK government home test kits. Arrangements are in place or being finalised to make testing available more easily for our island communities.

“In addition, mobile testing units are currently stationed at Fort William, Ullapool, Dornoch, Kingussie and Thurso twice weekly, and in Portree on a Monday and Broadford on a Thursday.

“NHS Highland can in many cases provide transport to these test sites for those who do not have access to a car. Officials are working on further roll-out of walk-through local test sites and a number of locations are under consideration, including sites within the Highland health board area.”

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