Since 23 October, in Stoke-on-Trent, we’ve been piloting nationally lateral flow testing. We were the very first local authority to trial the new technology working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and other Local Resilience Forum partners in the city.
For the uninitiated, the new tests involve a swab in the mouth and nostrils and can give a result in less than an hour. 15 minutes to administer and then 30 minutes for a result. Tests don’t need to be processed in a lab and can instead be administered by trained staff in controlled conditions. The new rapid test is intended to test people who are asymptomatic – those who aren’t experiencing any traditional coronavirus symptoms and who could be walking around unknowingly spreading the virus.
We’ve worked extremely hard to get this new technology up and running at pace and over 1000 people have already been tested in this way. Health workers including district and school nurses, fire service staff and our own staff such as critical workers delivering home care to vulnerable residents have all taken up the tests. It’s meant they have been able to go back to work quickly when they test negative with support offered to the small numbers that have tested positive. We don’t expect to find more than 1 in a 100 at the most who are positive and we’re broadly in line with these targets. It means we’ve been able to reassure employees that them being tested makes a real impact in the fight against the virus.
The benefits are many. I myself have been tested in this way and know first-hand how quickly and how well it works – I was negative I’m pleased to say. The tests have been an extra COVID-secure measure for our staff and other key public sector workers. Ultimately, it’s meant that we and other public sector partners have been able to continue to deliver the services that residents are relying on at this time.
We’ve also offered the approach to big employers in the city bringing benefits for the economy and supporting businesses to continue safely in the knowledge that they know there are no silent spreaders at work, passing the virus onto friends and family.
Last week we undertook a one-day pilot with members of the public and test take up was at 100 per cent. Whereas the more conventional testing is running at about 30 per cent capacity, slots were snapped up within a few minutes of booking going live. People told us why they opted for this new technology – some were carers for family members, others wanted to know if they were asymptomatic and others wanted to know they were safe due to the jobs they did. For all those who tested negative, they were able to get back to their daily lives quickly with peace of mind and without having to wait 24 hours plus for results.
This week, we’re focusing on train the trainer initiatives so that we can expand the scheme faster across the city. We’re also doing the first pilots with schools – where huge student cohorts have been impacted and we want to minimise disruption to education. It’s a game changer.
The principle for us is about going to the community directly; we can flex it according to where it’s needed most. We see testing as one of our first line defences against the virus and we’re working hard to extrapolate the benefits of this new technology wherever we can to help with this. We’re one of the only areas in the country that has managed to successfully de-escalate as an area of concern and with a localised outbreak we want this leadership in the fight against coronavirus to continue.
We’re learning from the trial and working to help others up and down the country learn from us too. Improvements we’re looking at are how we can further streamline the process both for registration and reporting, how digital solutions can help us more and making recommendations for how communications can be better used to match local people’s needs, including for BAME communities.
Using testing in this way and strengthening our contact tracing efforts to supplement what’s happening nationally are critical to breaking the cycle of transmission and fundamental to our robust testing strategy. We know our communities and are best-placed to take this forward locally. Our own councillors have been instrumental in this, working with residents – many in minority communities – to spread the word about why it’s important to get tested.
We’ve also put in place a 14-strong officer team to follow up directly with local people where national teams haven’t been able to make contact. Our COVID-marshals are out door knocking with police colleagues to provide support and advice to those self-isolating and to make sure that the guidance is being followed as it should.
What we’re hearing on the doorstep and over the phone is informing our engagement and communications with communities and we’re evolving quickly and efficiently for maximum effect.
I’m clear that local authorities are critical to beating this pandemic and I’ve continued to lobby at the heart of government on several key COVID-19 issues to get this message heard loud and clear. My priority is the people of Stoke-on-Trent and I will continue to do all I can to ensure that representation for unitary authorities is made at every step.
Local leadership has, and continues to be, critical to how we battle this horrible disease and right now, it’s imperative we use every single tool in our armoury to work to safeguard residents and all our loved ones.
Cllr Abi Brown is leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council
@AbiBrown1
