Mum in care home with symptoms but no test

[tactum]

As title says. Manager of care home told me yesterday she'd requested Mum be tested - along with a small number of others - as they had symptoms. This is a home where there have been multiple deaths already, Apparently Public Health England arrived today and decided only 1 patient was sick enough to warrant testing despite the other requests.
So:

1. We still have the worry and uncertainty
2. The staff in the home do too
3. PHE will probably have to make multiple trips to the home over the coming week to test the residents as they get sicker which makes no sense at all in terms of exposure
4. Matt Hancock said earlier this week ALL staff and residents of care homes would be tested as a matter of course??????
5. 'Key Workers' - which is actually a very wide description when you look at it - can go to a drive thro centre and get a test even if they're been self isolating for weeks and working from home and live alone so v minimum risk.

So why the hell can't my Mum get a fucking test so we can understand what we're dealing with???? She's 82 with dementia and I'm trying to reconcile myself to the fact I may well never see her again.

Just to be clear Mum has symptoms already, not just in the home

I'm sorry you are facing such uncertainty. On a practical level though, whether your mum has tested positive or not should make no difference to the treatment she receives. Hopefully by now they've amassed enough experience to treat the symptoms and to know they must keep a close eye on her lungs (is there a doctor in attendance) and her blood oxygen saturation (check that the home have and use oximeters for this).

How odd that they would test everyone over 65 with symptoms. Not ill enough is ridiculous.
As your Mum meets the criteria, would the staff be willing/permitted to help if you applied online for a home testing kit?

I’d go straight to the local paper with this one. The only way to hold the government’s feet to the fire on this one is with the threat of adverse publicity.