New temporary testing pathway for Southampton, Hampshire and Portsmouth pharmacists
Written by admin on Friday 25th September 2020
This pathway will be open to specific frontline Health and Social Care Workers and any symptomatic household members, including children, in the event that they are unable to access Pillar 2 testing*
This pathway covers Southampton, Hampshire and Portsmouth. It does not include the Isle of Wight or other areas outside of Southampton, Hampshire and Portsmouth.
Due to increased demand on the national Pillar 2 testing capacity, COVID-19 testing for Health and Social Care Workers (HSCWs) has not always been accessible for many of the workforce or their families, as quickly as our local NHS would like.
The following new temporary pathway has been introduced until the anticipated additional capacity has been created over the coming weeks to support Pillar 2 testing.
The interim pathway will be regularly reviewed and updated.
* Accessing Priority COVID-19 testing via the usual pathway (Pillar 2)
Pharmacy contractors will be aware from recent media reports of the challenges the NHS Test and Trace service is currently facing, with increased demand being seen for COVID-19 tests for symptomatic individuals. PSNC has also received reports from contractors that pharmacy staff members with COVID-19 symptoms have been unable to access testing.
Community pharmacists and their staff are classed as essential workers who are prioritised for testing and employers can refer essential workers for testing if they are self-isolating because either they or members of their household have coronavirus symptoms.
They can do this by uploading the names and contact details of self-isolating essential workers to the secure employer referral portal. Referred essential workers will then receive a text message with a unique invitation code to book a test for themselves (if symptomatic) or their symptomatic household members at a testing site.
To get a login to the employer referral portal, pharmacy contractors should email: portalservicedesk@dhsc.gov.uk with the following information:
- organisation name
- nature of the organisation’s business
- region
- names (where possible) and email addresses of the 2 users who will load essential worker contact details
Once employer details have been verified, two login credentials will be provided for the employer referral portal.
More information is provided on the following Government website: