The Scottish Government plans to significantly expand testing services for patients in hospitals, health and social care staff and communities in Level 4 areas.
Starting next week, all emergency admissions will be tested for COVID-19, and from mid-December, all elective admissions will be tested. Twice-weekly lateral flow testing will be introduced from next week for all healthcare staff in patient-facing roles employed in hospitals, COVID-19 Assessment Centres and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
In the social care sector, testing is likely to be introduced for designated visitors, visiting professional staff and care at home workers in the months ahead. Polymerase chain reaction testing will be provided to care homes that won't have access to lateral flow testing by Christmas.
Within the communities covered by NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Forth Valley and Greater Glasgow and Clyde, a testing programme will be introduced for students before they return home for Christmas. When schools resume in January, several school pilots will also be initiated with the goal of developing a larger sustainable programme of asymptomatic testing amongst school staff.
Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman said: “This expansion is possible because of increases in our testing capacity, delivered through our new regional hub laboratories and supply of new testing technologies, which will help us suppress COVID to the lowest levels possible as we face a challenging winter ahead.”
