Sam McBride: It took my health worker wife 250 calls to get a coronavirus test

I had a persistent cough and tiredness – very mild symptoms which wouldn’t normally cause even a trip to the doctor.

Even though those with mild symptoms of Covid-19 could pass the virus on to those whom it will kill, the NHS policy is to self-isolate at home rather than clog up limited testing resources unless there are more serious symptoms.

However, my wife works in the health service and because of my symptoms was obliged to stay away from work for 14 days – at a point when the heath service is desperately seeking staff and is bringing back retired medics and pushing students on to the frontline because of the looming surge in Covid-19 cases.

Both London and Stormont’s departments of health have insisted that while testing is limited to the general population that it is available to keep health staff at work.

Yet there have been multiple reports of health staff unable to secure tests and being forced out of work as a result.

On Tuesday, my wife rang the mobile number to book a test – and only her unusually persistent nature meant that she didn’t give up after a few calls.

The line was constantly busy or went to voicemail. Eventually, after 127 phone calls, she got through and was told that because I did not have a fever I would not be tested – even though one symptom was enough to keep her out of work.

She phoned her GP surgery to see if they could help, but without success.

The following day, she began again. After 122 further attempts she eventually got through again. This time, a test was agreed. Within three hours I was outside a hospital being tested in my car and less than 24 hours later the result came back negative, allowing her to return to work today.

Laboratory scientists, medics, civil servants, politicians and the huge army of porters, cleaners, cooks and others on whom the health system relies are all working earnestly and in some cases risking their own lives to save lives.

But it is self-defeating for scarce health workers to be sent home for a fortnight without being tested when – as in this case – they could and should be in work, helping their colleagues.

Northern Ireland is still behind the rest of the UK in facing the full awfulness of the pandemic’s peak and there is still time to fix some of these problems.

But time is running out.

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