The difficulty that frontline key workersĀ are having in accessing COVID-19 testsĀ has recently been the subject of much discussion in parliament and the media.
Occupational therapists across the UK play a key role in the fight against the pandemic,Ā andĀ theĀ lack of testing isĀ ofĀ huge concern to the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.
Commenting on the lack of testing,Ā RCOT Chief executive Julia Scott said:
āWe have seen over the past fewĀ daysĀ significant concerns from all areas of the NHS, Social Care, Teachers and those front-line key workers who have struggled to get a COVID-19 test.
āAs we see spikes in the infection rates and signs of a second wave, we have huge concerns about the accessibility of testing for occupational therapists and AHPās on the front-line. In particular, thoseĀ that workĀ in social care settings, such as care homes, which as we know are extremely vulnerable to the worst impacts of coronavirus.
āWhilst it is positive that government ministers have suggested that the NHS is the top priority for testing, this is worrying for social care which was overlooked in the initial response to the pandemic. Occupational therapists for weeks and months were hampered in providing vital support, such as rehabilitation, to those that needed it due to the lack of guidance and access to personal protective equipment.
āThe fact that some NHS staff, Care Workers and Teachers are already having to self-isolate because they cannot access a test within a reasonable distance in many parts of the country, is not good enough. This needs to be resolved in days and not āin a matter of weeksā as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care indicated this week during urgent questions.ā