Update on drive through swabbing hubs for Covid-19
Update 2 April: In line with national guidance, the swabbing hubs at Harpenden Memorial Hospital and Edgware Community Hospital closed week commencing 16 March. Patients are not being referred to either of these sites for testing.
As part of the county wide efforts to manage the Covid-19 outbreak, CLCH is operating drive through swabbing hubs at some of its sites. These services aim to minimise the impact of testing on the local acute hospitals.
These hubs are referral-only services. Patients and members of the public can only attend these facilities if they have been given an appointment, following a telephone assessment by NHS 111.
These services are not drop-in centres and only those who meet the nationally agreed criteria for a suspected case will be asked to attend and given an appointment for their test.
Those referred to the drive through hubs for swabbing will arrive in their own car, and will not enter the building. They will be swabbed outside by specially trained nurses, under a purpose built awning.
If you are swabbed at one of our drive-through hubs, you will receive your results from the relevant acute provider by phone in a minimum of 72 hours. CLCH will not be able to provide the results of your swab.
You should remain self-isolated until you receive your results.
Our first drive-through swabbing hub for Covid-19 opened at Parsons Green Health Centre on 24 February. More information about this can be found on our website.
This week, we have opened two hubs, one at our site at Harpenden Memorial Hospital and another at Edgware Community Hospital. Both services went live on 9 March. The service at Harpenden Memorial Hospital is commissioned by Herts Valleys CCG, and is provided by nursing staff from CLCH, supported by Hertfordshire Urgent Care. More information can be found on the Herts Valleys CCG website. The service at Edgware Community Hospital is provided by nursing staff from CLCH, supported by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
We continue to work closely with our NHS partners to determine requirements for these services to be provided at other CLCH sites.
How to check if you need medical help:
If you wish to check if you need medical help, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
Use this service if:
• you think you might have coronavirus
•in the last 14 days you've been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see our coronavirus advice for travellers
• you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus
The 111 coronavirus service: https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.
The latest information on coronavirus can be found on the gov.uk website and the nhs.uk website.