Impossible to get a test

[mumum1]

Can't believe how difficult it is to get a test.

DD6 ended up with a bit of a cold over the weekend and a fever yesterday morning. I got a fever too and just a general feeling of being tired.

Have been trying since yesterday morning to get a test but no test sites available.

We're all self isolating now which means I'm off work, DD9 is off school too (she's gutted) as well as DD6

I'm pretty sure we've just got colds but DDs school and my work won't let me back until I have a negative test although we both feel ok now.

I would have thought that the powers that be would have thought that maybe with the return to school to make sure we had enough testing capacity!

Has anyone managed to book a test today? How have you managed it? Any times of day I should be trying?

[mumum1]

Managed to get a postal test, felt like I won the lottery! Fingers crossed it's a quick turn around with the results.

Would have loved a test today so could get the results quickly but I'm lucky I got something at all!

Kids are getting fed up. DD9 seemed really down today- not her usual self. She just wants to be with her friends.

Just can't believe the utter shambles this Covid testing thing is!

[Thehogfatherstolemycurry]

Come to Bolton we have them all!
They're literally giving them out on the street, last weekend they were in town giving postal ones out and today where I love they've been knocking on doors asking if you need one! Honest, I kid you not, beggars belief!

[Cookerhood]

Round & round in circles here, unable to get a test. DS works in a school and I'm quite sure it is just a cold but school.wont let him go.back.unyil.he has a negative test.

[Torvean32]

@Flube

My 4yo has woken with a cough, he also has the same cold symptoms (sneezing and sore throat) that the rest of us have in the house. However he is the only one with a cough.

School (just started in reception class) are happy for him to go in with a cold just not any of the main 3 symptoms, which means we are all home.

This morning, I took him to this weeks local no appointment walk in. After queuing for around an hour, someone organising the pop up test site, told us that they are not able to test under5's.

I cannot get a test online, 119 tells you to book online. I did get the option for a home test but by the time I filled in all the details, it said problem with my order. Tried again, no home tests and no slots.

Is it a continuous cough?

coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

[Chrispackhamspoodle]

I got one at 8.02pm last night by constantly refreshing.Has taken me 2 days.Suddenly loads appeared.Got kicked out at first then tried again and got a walk in 10 miles away.

[NoSquirrels]

Nope. Cannot get one.

[greatbighillofhope]

I’m in Leicester and cannot get one with my own postcode, even though our area is Still high and we’ve had extra testing capacity here since the beginning of July. I just tried putting in postcode for Bolton but even that didn’t work. So even in some of the worst hit areas people can’t get tests. I guess it doesn’t matter where you are if all the labs In the country are at capacity.
This is an absolute shit show. Absolutely shocking that they’ve spent £££££ on an advertising campaign to encourage people to get tested and then don’t have enough capacity. It’s been nine months since corona emerged, over six months in this country, and the gvt still haven’t done enough to make sure there is adequate lab provision.
A lot of people I can imagine would just think ‘sod it, we’re not all staying in for two weeks coz one of us has a cough. If the gvt can’t manage to provide tests I’m not suffering for it’

[missbipolar]

I've just ordered 2 home tests so hopefully things are improving!

[Rockhopper81]

Still can't get one this morning - either at a site or at home. I tried a Birmingham postcode too, thinking they might have more availability given the tightening of restrictions there - nothing. This is beyond a joke...

[Cookerhood]

Still nothing here after refreshing all evening & since 7.45 this morning. Occasionally a slot pops up but can't actually book it. DS got as far as putting in his car reg, but then it disappeared.

[lulubooboo]

Nothing. Been trying since Sunday night non stop. One slot came through 65 miles away and giving me 40 minutes to get there

[SerenaT28]

I've been trying since Saturday, time is about to run out (in terms of even being able to have the test, 5 days I think it is?). We really can't afford DH being home for two weeks on SSP. Preschool will not accept DS back until he has a negative test. Same story as everyone else. I'm in disbelief. I tried putting in loads of different postcodes and the only slots that came up anywhere were in Bolton. That's an 8 hour round trip for us, so not really feasible. No tests in Essex, Herts, Suffolk, Cambs, Leics, Birmingham etc. I can't believe the government didn't foresee this?

[SerenaT28]

Birmingham live with 90 slots right now... Go!

[SansaClegane]

It's such a shit show isn't it.
I've been on it again since 6.45 am, really hoping for the 10am slots.

I think the most frustrating thing is getting through to picking a centre and time slot, putting car reg in, and then being kicked off the site.
Why is the website so shit? I think these slots are then being 'held' but you can't confirm it so people are missing out either way.

Good luck to everyone who's trying today.

[NoAngel1]

A friend told me that her children's school had said that one of the test centres near us is drop in. It wasn't but they did let us in without an appointment yesterday. It's all such a joke. I work for the NHS and DD wasnt entitled to a test through my work (family were previously able to get tested at work). So I'm now stuck at home isolating with two children.

[SansaClegane]

Serena just tried some Birmingham postcodes and it says "no test sites found"

[Jrobhatch29]

I cant get one either. It just says service very busy for me. We have two mobile testing units in our town too and not even giving them as options. Apparently they are turning away without an appointment. My DS1 has a bad cold and has a temperature this morning. Had to keep him and his brother off. My DP had already left for work before we got up so he's had to come home too.

[lulubooboo]

We tried asking at the one near us that used to be drop in until they changed to appointment only over the weekend but they refused us on the basis that they’d been ordered to only accept appointments due to the labs being overrun. There were at least 20 staff sat around doing nothing. The place was empty. I’m a teacher with children in exam years. All of us missing school! So frustrating. I find it hard to believe the government didn’t realise that opening schools would require more tests and more people to process the tests in labs!

[SierraHotel]

I too am having a fucking nightmare with the website 😡😡
This is bound to put people off actually trying to get a test. We're doing what we're being told to do and getting nowhere 😫

[SerenaT28]

Oh I'm so sorry, they literally must've all gone in 2 minutes 😩

[SansaClegane]

Don't worry, it would be an at least 3 hour round trip to Birmingham for us anyway - but I was still surprised that it seems to be so random with what you get to see.

[MrsMariaReynolds]

Absolute $h!tshow from the government. Boris promised to get our children back to school in September. He never promised they'd be able to stay. 🙄

[YouJustDoYou]

Same. I tried from 2.30pm yesterday. All the way through until midnight. Refreshed every 30 mins. Got up at 2am to try until 4am. Nothing. Nothing from 7am until now. I had to turn down work today - I'm zero hours, and I could fucking cry. I have bills to pay- my son doesn't even have symptoms now, it was because they look his temperature in fucking 27'c heat yesterday in his full winter uniform.

[AgentProvocateur]

All of you who can’t get tests, are you complaining to your MPs too?

[gamerchick]

I can't believe the government didn't see this coming when the schools opened. These are schools, who want sick notes from the gp for illness. It's obvious what they were going to be like.

The next best thing is to keep them off for a week if no test can be found but that'll put a right crimp in your job life. Even then, they still want that negative test. Some schools want the negative test from the whole family before letting them back. It's just not workable.