Several NHS trusts have waited up to a week to find out if their patients have covid-19, according to a report in the HSJ. The trusts are experiencing delays at local laboratories.
Last week at least three trusts in south London faced waits of five to seven days for test results, while several acute trusts in the Black Country waited five days, multiple sources told HSJ.
HSJ learnt from a source at the Countess of Chester Hospital Foundation Trust that after waits of between three to four days last week, the trust has now launched an in-house service resulting in 24-hour turnarounds.
The NHS is currently attempting a five-fold increase of covid-19 testing across England.
Full story in The HSJ, 25 March 2020