"no test site found"

[Tenner]

what does this mean when it shows up on the NHS site. I am in the Manchester area.

High risk areas are being prioritised for allocation of the slots. If you have eg a Glasgow or Birmingham postcode you may find it easier to get a booking.
If you get a confirmed booking anywhere in the UK you will receive a QR code.
If you accidentally show up at a different UK test site and/or a different time slot with your QR code showing on your phone you are very likely to be tested because no other details will be visible.
But please only do this if you absolutely NEED a test and fulfil the criteria.

Same in London- postal, drive or walk. Nothing available.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54121367

BBC have got an article on their website
Coronavirus testing system 'falling over'
By Rachel Schraer

Same in Cornwall, "no test site found" i've a sore throat, dry cough and feel weak.

All very well prioritising hot spots but will mean missing rising infection rates in other areas.

Personally, i think its deliberate in order to keep our published infection rates down.

Thanks for that article Drysnitchinsbitchin. Glad to see it is being reported again.

It is so impossibly tricky. Can’t get one for love or money. Am refreshing like a crazy thing. I am pretty sure it is a really heavy cold but because I do have a continuous cough and DH is a doctor, I do need a test regardless ASAP.

Me too I'm in Newcastle. Also this morning it won't accept my postcode no matter what format. I tried my parents too who live close by but won't accept that. Urgh

Just got one! Later today!

I emailed my MP yesterday. I got a reply from her caseworker saying that they would be opening 40 more testing sites in October - not much help to people needing tests today - and listing pointless statistics showing how well the Government is doing (x % of people can get a test within 6.9 miles of their home etc).

I've just paid for a test at a private GP for my toddler, been trying to get an NHS one since yesterday but no joy. It was expensive but less than we would lose by both staying off work for a few days. What a palaver, it's shocking!

This is ridiculous. I have been refreshing since 7am today and have managed to get through to the stage of putting my car reg in 4 times for four different testing centres and then just get kicked out again. Every. Fucking. Time.

I'm trying not to feel panic about this but I can't help but feel a bit stressed. How can we possibly try to keep a lid on things if loads of the country can't get fucking tested. I got a test back in June and there were several near me. Does anyone know if there's a list of drive in test centres anywhere available? Not going to go! But would be very interested if the ones which were open in june are now closed?

DH took DD to a walk in test centre today and there were about 100 people all there for the same reason, none booked as it was advertised as just turn up and all got refused tests because they hadn't booked. That test centre never comes up on the website so you can't book!
By a miracle we managed to get a test booked 20 miles away and so spent the morning driving there and back. He's a nurse so we needed to know really so he can go back to work - his trust are no longer testing their staff and telling them all to go through the gov website

How many people will just not bother if they can get away with it? It is a real problem. I don’t understand though why they’re sending people to the isle of white rather than their local slot. That seems a completely different issue to the lab being limited. I can get that there might be limits but sending people miles away is just going to piss people off.

I’d be interested to FOI web traffic data to show how many unique IP addresses tried to get a test but didn’t succeed. Don’t know if that data would be possible to get but it feels like it could be important to know what percentage of people are giving up.

I agree sailingblue, my mum's friend lives in Surrey and was told her nearest available test was the Isle of Wight. That just doesn't make sense if the issue is lab capacity surely??

People need to start pushing back when schools and nurseries "insist" on tests for colds. That's what's caused this.

How are parents supposed to push back? If local authorities‘ public health departments advising nurseries and schools are telling them that kids with possible symptoms need to stay out of school for x days unless they can get a negative test.. What are parents able to do about that?

@DateLoaf

How are parents supposed to push back? If local authorities‘ public health departments advising nurseries and schools are telling them that kids with possible symptoms need to stay out of school for x days unless they can get a negative test.. What are parents able to do about that?

The Health Authorities aren't telling them that, the schools are taking it upon themselves. The govt advice to schools is very clear. Children should stay away and get a test if they have a new continuous cough, temperature or change to sense of taste or smell. Everyone else should be in school.

I was actually at a joint DfE Dept of Health (virtual) meeting this week and schools were firmly reprimanded for asking people who didn't meet the criteria to take tests.

But the absence of tests though, kids having a temperature (which could be for loads of different reasons nothing to do with COVID- like the ‘cold’ you mention) will require a lot of kids to be off school unnecessarily because they can’t produce a negative test result. That’s not schools or nurseries deviating from guidance. I agree that if schools or nurseries did deviate from guidance then that would be wrong.

Of course, but it's because schools (and others) are "sending" people with cold symptoms, not a temperature, that is at least in part the cause of the lack of tests.

Had my test-a complete cock up as they hadn’t got me down, made me phone 119, whereby I was on hold for nearly an hour, all whilst I watched about 15 testers sunbathing as no one to test! Lord knows why there were no tests showing up because they obviously didn’t have that many booked as it was a barren dessert!

Anyway, did my test-twice as vomited on the first one as I cannot tolerate anything at the back of my throat...

Now to wait for results. DD not happy with me as she was supposed to be seeing her mates tonight and couldn’t until I get cleared. Doing the right thing is very hard.

I do think I just have a very heavy head cold rather than COVID though, and this is the problem, as I do have a temperature and a new persistent cough-but those are also cold symptoms

Arggh this is driving me mad!
Live in the North East - on the watchlist. DD has a cold including a cough (most of the kids have it, some have been tested, all negative).

Been trying for 3 days to get a test. This is a total shambles.

@Anthilda

Our family have had what I believe is a cold but because I told my childcare provider that one of my children has a cough she insisted that the other child is not to return to her care until we ALL have a negative covid test. Ofsted guidelines apparently.

This is going to be chaotic for everyone throughout winter while coughs and colds are rampant.

You may believe it is a cold and it may well be but the cough means your childcare provider is following the right guidelines.

Actually I see they have insisted you all take a test. I don't think that would be necessary if the child with a cough has a negative outcome