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Just discovered how broken the UK COVID-19 system really is. Strap in...
Family member sent home from work with a temp and request to get tested. Fair enough.
Go on website. No test sites available. Call 119.
Family member sent home from work with a temp and request to get tested. Fair enough.
Go on website. No test sites available. Call 119.
Wait for answer “you are in a queue and we are experiencing high demand, please try the website”. Nope, done that. Hold.
Get bored doing nothing holding. Meanwhile we start putting in calls to cancel appointments for tomorrow. Still holding.
Get bored doing nothing holding. Meanwhile we start putting in calls to cancel appointments for tomorrow. Still holding.
Find out from a contact that there is a drive through centre close to my office (35 min drive) and decide to stay on hold and head that way in an attempt to get an appointment en route.
45 mins after calling and about 10 mins from drive through site they pick up.
45 mins after calling and about 10 mins from drive through site they pick up.
“No sites with available testing, use the website to find something”
We’re now 5 mins from the test centre so sod it, we’ll rock up and take our chances. Program on radio 4 discussing this yesterday with countless anecdotes about people doing this and getting a test.
We’re now 5 mins from the test centre so sod it, we’ll rock up and take our chances. Program on radio 4 discussing this yesterday with countless anecdotes about people doing this and getting a test.
Arrive at the test centre and they are empty. Nobody else there and staff are literally sat by the side of the road waiting for people to come in. Cool, let’s see what they say.
“Sorry, gov guidelines update and we cannot take anyone without an appointment”
“Sorry, gov guidelines update and we cannot take anyone without an appointment”
“but you’re empty and the website and phone line are overloaded”
“Sorry, new instructions. If you can get an appointment via the website, phoneline or a GP referral we’ll test you”
Right, let’s find somewhere to park up and try again.
“Sorry, new instructions. If you can get an appointment via the website, phoneline or a GP referral we’ll test you”
Right, let’s find somewhere to park up and try again.
Website says no, even if I put the postcode of the test centre into the system.
Phone 119 again. This time they are clearly using the website to input the data. Same answer. We explain that we are minutes from an empty test centre.
Phone 119 again. This time they are clearly using the website to input the data. Same answer. We explain that we are minutes from an empty test centre.
Can’t help. The only thing they did differently was to record our dissatisfaction with the service and log that we were unable to get an appointment for a known empty test centre.
So now we’re at home hitting refresh on the website hoping that something will come free.
So now we’re at home hitting refresh on the website hoping that something will come free.
Planning to ask the GP for a referral tomorrow morning but we shouldn’t have to load that resource up more than it already is.
So Boris and Cummings, this bullshit about the UK testing being world class is what I’m calling it, Bullshit.
So Boris and Cummings, this bullshit about the UK testing being world class is what I’m calling it, Bullshit.
Or better said, you’re lying your arses off to the public (colour me shocked). The call centres are totally overloaded and the website is broken. There are unused resources out there but people can’t get access to them. This is on you, you lying shower of shit.
FIN
FIN
Not sure if this is any kind of new news to @fleetstreetfox or @guardian but nothing ventured, nothing gained
