Can't get a test at all

[Intrepidintrovert]

There's just none available in my area (or within 75 miles I suppose). It just comes up with nothing available. I've had a temperature and cough since yesterday and can't get tested. I have sat all day yesterday and today trying to book a test and over and over it just comes up nothing available. My friend is also sick and she went to a test site to see if they'd just let her have a test but they wouldn't and said she needed to book (but it looked pretty empty?!) What are people actually going to do? Presumably nobody else in my area can get tested right now either then - which means there are probably a lot of undiagnosed cases.

I feel so stuck as I can't be off work for a fortnight. I'm a real stickler for the rules but if people can't get tests, this isn't going to work.

I'd be happy if I could just get an appointment. Any appointment at all. (But no, it's not ok to have them only available miles and miles away.)

It's not nothing. It's an hour plus when you know there's a site 15 minutes away, but you can't get a slot. And it's an hour (there and back so two hours plus) when you've got a DD who is full of a cold and needs bed, but you're driving round the M25 just to prove she can go to school at some point in the next week, and we don't have to take a week (potentially) unpaid from work.

We did it as we have a car and want to get DD back to school and us back to work asap. But I can completely see why someone else might not - and that's precisely why it's going to spread over the winter until we have a decent test, track and trace.

I jus started a thread about the same thing! Except I don’t have a car, my nearest walk in centre is 30 miles away and there are no flipping postal tests! Been trying all day.

I’ve just had a look as I’ve got a slight cough. Not continuous currently but thought I’d have a little check - zero. I can’t even chose to travel 75 miles (which I find hilarious that they think that’s a reasonable distance to travel). Guess I’ll carry on my week. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I don’t yet have the official symptoms, just an occasional cough that’s started today & my chest feels a bit weird. But I could be imagining that bit..

I'm sure you have tried and I know you're pain as I spent over 2 hours refreshing the gov website the other day. I read on Twitter that slots were released at 8am and 8pm but 8am passed with nothing. Suddenly at 10am I could book a slot. Not many available though so I imagine they go pretty fast. Results were back well within 24 hours so for me it was worth the 40 minute drive each way to avoid extra days off school/nursery.
They definitely need to sort it out somehow, I realise there are capacity constraints but I think there are a few tech issues too and I'm sure slot allocation could be improved with a queuing system or similar. Even if I knew I was low in the queue it would feel less futile than refreshing constantly.

I got mine just after 10am on Friday so 10am seems like a good time.

I was trying all day and nothing.. Read that slots are released at 8pm went on there at 8pm on dot and got a slot for tomorrow 20 mins away.

Some appeared at 8pm but when I tried to book them it just glitched and then they were gone.

I can’t access a drive through test as I don’t have a car, I need a postal test and that’s just showing as unavailable. Will keep trying 😫

We are still trying. I’ve now developed a fever so we will have to isolate until we get a test. Driving for 3 hours with a poorly 2 year old and a baby is not ideal when whoever has to drive out of DH or I will be feeling so unwell (my eyes are burning and we’ve both not slept for 3 nights!). It isn’t good enough. It’s people’s livelihoods and educations at stake here. They knew this was coming.

There’s not even an option to drive any where for us, just nothing available.

Well my plan of keep trying worked and I managed to get booked in this afternoon at my local test centre which is a 5minute drive away. They came up at 10am but initially they were 40+miles away but i just kept on refreshing until mine came up 3minutes later.
Hope everyone else manages to get the test they need. Absolutely crazy system. I'm sure it was easier to get Glastonbury tickets 😉

We have a clinical vulnerable family member who can’t get a test today. Because they’ve not been tested the rest of the family are continuing to go to work/child care setting etc.