[Withdrawn] A testing service for independent health providers in England
Updated 18 August 2021
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-health-providers-accessing-lateral-flow-tests/a-testing-service-for-independent-health-providers-in-england
Introduction
Independent health providers (IHPs), both NHS commissioned and private, can access lateral flow testing kits directly from NHS Test and Trace.
Any member of staff who delivers services in these settings is eligible for testing.
The types of staff who should receive testing will depend on the services provided, but could include:
- porters, cleaners and receptionists working on the site
- 111 and telephony operators
- essential office-based workers
- medical staff and allied healthcare professionals
Deliveries will cover a minimum period of 28 days.
Webinars
For more information you can join our live webinars or watch a recorded version. These live webinars will talk you through the end-to-end process for IHP testing and include a live Q&A with the IHP team, who will be happy to answer your questions.
Summary: testing for independent health providers
Managers should order lateral flow testing kits for each staff member. Deliveries will cover a minimum period of 28 days. It is recommended to order sufficient tests to cover 7 weeks’ worth of standard testing to allow for a 3-week buffer of lateral flow testing kits at any time.
Staff should take a test twice weekly at home and register the result online. All results must be registered whether negative, positive or void.
Staff will receive their results within 30 minutes of conducting the test.
If a member of staff receives a positive LFT result they should conduct a confirmatory PCR test immediately, isolate until they receive a result, and notify their employer. Staff members can order a PCR test.
If you have any queries with any of the steps, call the national coronavirus contact centre on 119.
Why testing is important
Testing:
- identifies staff who currently have COVID-19 so they are able to self-isolate if positive
- protects those receiving care from infection passed to them by staff who are confirmed positive
- prevents and controls the spread of the virus by identifying asymptomatic cases
End-to-end process: managers
Terms and conditions
Review the Terms and Conditions prior to ordering test kits. By commencing using test kits you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions. Please ensure you download the Terms and Conditions.
Ordering test kits
The manager is responsible for ordering test kits for all staff.
To order test kits the manager will need:
- your unique organisation number (UON)
- total number of staff for testing
NHS Test and Trace will assign all participating organisations with a single UON. Managers will receive their UON via the email provided by NHS England and NHS Improvement. Staff will need to use the IHPs UON to register completed test kits.
When ordering you will be asked to enter the number of residents or non-staff. You should enter ‘0’ for this.
Once you have placed an order, you will receive a confirmatory email from this address: organisation.coronavirus.testing@notifications.service.gov.uk
If you have any issues with any of the steps, call the national coronavirus contact centre on 119.
Delivery and distribution
Delivery
You will receive a box containing 56 individual boxes each containing 7 LFT kits. Each box containing the 56 lateral flow testing kits is approximately the same size as the overhead hand luggage you take on a plane.
Distribution
Once your kits are delivered, inform your staff that kits have arrived or arrange for them to be distributed as appropriate.
Staff will need the UON of their IHP in order to correctly register their LFTs. Make sure you have this information so that they have it available to them. Staff will need to re-enter their UON each time they conduct an LFT.
Data privacy notice
Please ensure you download the privacy notice. Please amend and either print or communicate the data privacy notice to ensure that staff participating in testing have sight of this. We recommend putting the guidance on a wall where test kits are distributed and in staff rooms.
Tracking test kit distribution
As an organisation distributing test kits you are obliged to keep a detailed record of any test kits provided for use at home or outside the organisation. In the unlikely event of any issues with a batch of test kits, organisations will be required to track the location of test kits. In order to do this the details below should be recorded and stored:
- first name, last name, telephone number and/or email address of test subject
- details of lot or batch number of each LFT home test kit given to each staff member (the lot number is found on the side of each box. It is 8 characters long: one letter followed by 7 numbers)
- date of issue to user
Tracking results
When staff complete self-tests, you will not automatically receive a copy of their results. In order to receive results, you must request this information from staff directly. We recommend implementing a system for staff to share their results with you. Some examples include:
- a shared Gmail account
- WhatsApp group
- nominated contact of your team
Once you have set up a system for results to be shared, make sure all staff are aware of the expectations for sharing their results before the first day of self-testing.
End-to-end process: staff
Collecting test kits
The manager will inform staff when tests arrive and how they can be collected or distributed. Each staff member should collect 2 boxes of 7 lateral flow testing kits.
Before testing be sure to read the guidance included with your test kit.
If a staff member becomes symptomatic, they should immediately self-isolate, and order a confirmatory PCR test. After conducting the test they should continue to self-isolate until they receive their PCR result.
Using the test kits
How you use your rapid lateral flow test kit will differ depending on what test kit you have.
How to do a coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow test at home provides you with details on how to carry out each of the different tests. You can also watch video demonstrations for each one.
If possible, please continue testing while on holiday (in the UK) or off work due to an illness not related to coronavirus.
After testing positive, you do not need to test again for 90 days unless you become symptomatic.
Reading your result
If a staff member receives a negative result with an LFT result and remain without symptoms they can continue working. Staff must continue following all IPC measures such as wearing PPE, washing your hands and socially distancing where possible.
If any staff member tests positive, they will need to order a confirmatory PCR test and immediately self-isolate until they receive their PCR result.
Registering test kits
All test results must be registered online whether they are positive, negative or void. IHP staff need to use this service every time they complete a self-test.
Steps to register a test kit
- Go to Report a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test result.
- Select who you are reporting the result for: either ‘myself’ or ‘someone else’.
- Create an account. You will only have to do this once and it will remember your personal details for when you have to register test results each time.
- Select ‘it’s not listed’ when asked ‘tell us about your work’.
- Select ‘yes’ when asked ‘did your employer provide the test kit?’
- Enter your setting unique organisation number.
- Select the date you’ll take the coronavirus test. If you’ve already taken the coronavirus test, tell us the date and time you took it.
- Enter or scan your test ID number. You will find the ID number under the QR code on the LFT.
- Enter personal details:
- name
- date of birth
- Enter your contact details:
- email address
- mobile number
- Select the result of the test: ‘positive’, ‘negative’ or ‘invalid’. Check your answers.
- Receive confirmation of registration via email.
If there are any problems with registering a test kit, call 119.
If any staff member cannot complete the online form, they can either:
- call 119 and select option 1
- ask someone else to register on their behalf (provided they have written consent to do so and can obtain personal details required to complete the form)
Multiple registrations
From 1 July, you can use the new version of the record-keeping multiple registration spreadsheet. The updated spreadsheet will let you register polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
Ensure you only use the most recent version of the multiple upload spreadsheet to register coronavirus tests for your organisation.
You can register up to 100 tests on the spreadsheet.
Organisations can still upload their testing data using the self-registration route. This is an additional option and does not replace the self-reporting routes.
You will need to read the guidance and download the multiple registration spreadsheet to record the details of people you’ve tested for coronavirus on that day.
Twice-weekly retesting
After you have completed your first round of testing, staff should continue to test using lateral flow testing kits twice weekly on the same days each week. If you have tested positive, you do not need to retest for 90 days unless you become symptomatic.
- Day 1: conduct test on day of planned testing, receive result and register test.
- Day 3 to 5: conduct test on day of planned testing, receive result and register test.
- Repeat testing process every 7 days.
If you receive a positive test result, please stay or return home and inform your line manager
Where to go for help
Watch an instructional video on how to do a coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow test at home.
Coronavirus Testing Contact Centre: call 119. Lines are open from 7am to 11pm daily.