Staff working in specialist cancer units, long-term older people’s wards and in long-stay mental health facilities will be tested weekly for coronavirus from next month.

It comes after Cancer Research UK said at the beginning of this month up to 3,000 covid-19 tests would be needed daily for patients and staff to allow cancer services to restart safely.

Starting on the 8^th July, health boards have been asked to ensure all staff involved in delivering care in these areas are tested each week.

The move follows a recommendation from the Scottish Government’s Nosocomial Review Group set up to consider hospital transmission of the virus and chaired by Chief Nursing Officer Fiona McQueen.

Staff connected to a suspected outbreak of the virus in a hospital setting are already tested for the virus, but prior to today the Scottish Government had not committed to routinely testing healthcare staff.

Earlier this month MSPs were told “unvalidated” data showed there are 894 confirmed and suspected cases among health staff linked to 125 different incidents in hospitals across Scotland.

Making the announcement in parliament today, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “At this point the recommendation is not to widen testing to other areas of the health service but introduce it in those areas where it is believed the risk of infection is higher, particularly where there is a vulnerable cohort of patients.

“That evidence is continuously under review and so it may be that in time that advice changes to widen to other cohorts of NHS staff.”

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