Covid-19 Testing To Get Key Workers Back To Work

25th March 2020

Household members with symptoms to be tested.

Prioritised testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) will allow key health and social care workers to return to work, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.

The Scottish Government has published guidance for NHS Scotland to prioritise testing to enable health and social care staff to get back to work, based on the pressures local boards are facing.

As testing capacity increases, this will be extended to other key workers.

Ms Freeman said:"It is essential that front-line health and social care staff can remain at work. To help to save lives, we must continue to prioritise testing in hospitals. All remaining capacity must be used to ensure that critical staff can return to work as soon as possible.

“Today, I am publishing guidance for the NHS to support use of the testing capacity in our laboratories, in so far as it is not needed for essential care, in order to enable health and social care staff to be back at work when that is safe.

“NHS boards will prioritise testing, based on where the pressure is felt most in their workforce and in social care."