Are test centres ever busy?

[ChocOrange1]

I went to a test centre today to collect lateral flow tests. There were at least 20 members of staff, 4 of them were just directing me into the tent (arrows on the floor would have done this job) and the others were standing around or sitting at desks. I was in the test centre for less than 1 minute, but I sat outside for a while after to feed my baby and only one other person went in.

We also went to one back in about October, a drive through one. We had to speak to 4 different people then too - one greeting us, one directing us to the next one, one giving us the test and talking us through it, one showing us to a space. About 3 other cars there.

Are these test centres ever busy? Like during the peak were they booked up and really busy? And if not, what a huge waste of money employing all those staff!

In Fairly late December we queued for about 15 minutes to actually get in - this when cases were much higher than now though, and also I guess people were getting extra tests to see if they could see family more safely over Christmas.

@Catlover10

In Fairly late December we queued for about 15 minutes to actually get in - this when cases were much higher than now though, and also I guess people were getting extra tests to see if they could see family more safely over Christmas.

Oh yes I think a lot of people lied about symptoms to get tested before Christmas.

I suspect that maybe the booking system is rubbish. There's one right near me and I drive past it multiple times a day. It's either RAMMED as in cars queuing 2 a breast all the way down the road and all the staff busy. Or empty and them sitting around doing nothing. I can't help but think the booking system books them all for certain times instead of spread out through the day?

I've been to our local one about 4 times (in an area where numbers have always been high). Always empty with people hanging around in high viz, directing you when the signs would be adequate. Interacted with about 5 people per visit.

Went to one on Wednesday morning with my cold ridden primary child. There was a steady trickle of people arriving, mostly parents with primary aged children, probably all with the same cold virus

It was busy when I did mine back in the summer.

I walk past one almost every day at all sorts of times throughout the day and I haven't seen anyone go in or out over the past 3 months. Big city centre location and no-one is using it. The car park is just outside is always empty and the same 6 guys in hi-viz loitering around outside.

I pass one on my way to and from work. I’ve only ever seen 2 people go in since it first opened in early December. One of my colleagues colleagues needed a test two weeks ago but it was closed so he had to drive to another testing centre 12 miles away. We’re just about to get a new testing centre in the next town to us. Someone’s lining their pockets at our expense.

6 hours queues at the one I was meant to use at Christmas (I went to another branch in the end). Mind you, this was the only private lab chain that provided fit to fly certificates so the week leading up to Christmas was madness with people trying to get tested on time.

They’ve recently set up a lot of the big tent-like ones around the city - similar to the UK LFT centres, they never look too busy.

I’m not in the UK before someone jumps at me to say traveling at Christmas was illegal 😅