A new RCN UK survey reveals a disparity between the access to testing of COVID-19 for those working in NHS compared to staff working in the social care sector and those employed by nursing agencies. The college conducted a UK-wide survey of its members asking about the availability and access to COVID-19 testing.
In Wales, the RCN is aware that a total of only 16 completed tests on care home staff have been carried out in the past week according to the Welsh Government’s own statistics. This lack of testing is confirmed by the responses of RCN members working in care homes in Wales. More than half these respondents reported that they had requested testing but only 16% of them have been offered a test.
Helen Whyley, Director of the Royal College of Nursing Wales, said: “I am very concerned that members in care homes report a gap in their availability to COVID-19 tests. Our members have been giving us anecdotal evidence that the access to testing in the care home sector has not been forthcoming. Our survey results suggest this as fact.”
We have more than 600 care homes across Wales and nursing staff are providing vital care for this vulnerable population. These health care workers have the same right to testing as NHS Wales staff. Many of our members in care homes want access to testing so that they can carry on doing their jobs as nurses and health care support workers or so they can return to work if they have been self-isolating.
We have raised this issue with the Health Minister and First Minister in Wales and these numbers are not even close to being good enough. I’m sure our decision-makers would agree that our colleagues in the care home sector are not second class citizens and deserve much better. I want the Welsh Government to assure me that testing is widely available for all our members in the health and social care sector. I want to see an immediate increase in the uptake of testing of care home staff and I expect the testing numbers to be much higher next week."
