A mobile coronavirus testing centre failed to turn up in Bolton, leaving dozens waiting hours for an appointment, before eventually being sent home without being tested
Mobile testing at the Last Drop Village, in Bromley Cross, had been offered to a number of patients, with appointments set for Saturday morning (September 12).
Although patients stuck to their end of the deal, it then became clear that the mobile testing unit would not be arriving at all.
Rachel Louise was one of those people waiting, having first noticed symptoms on Thursday evening.
She eventually managed to book an appointment at 11am on Saturday, after negotiating the troublesome online booking system.
Rachel said: "It took me over 24 hours to get the appointment online and when we got there, there were just lots of people sat waiting.
"It was shocking. People were there with babies and there was a car park full of sick people, and nobody knew what was happening.
"The general manager of Last Drop was pulling his hair out as well. It's just an absolute disgrace. "
Just before noon, Rachel and others were told that the testing unit would not arrive, and were sent away with home testing kits.
Bolton Council has since attempted to salvage the situation but Rachel said nobody took her details and claimed there was no mention of rearranging appointments.
A council spokesman said: “The testing site is one of a number of national sites set up in response to the increasing rate of infection in Bolton, and was due to open yesterday, run by an external business, who failed to turn up in the morning.
“Thanks to the dedication of council staff, Greater Manchester Police, and the Last Drop Village hotel we have been able to step in and arrange for the testing facility to open. We’re working with the government and their partners to find out what has happened.
“Although this was out of our hands, we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused our residents.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “NHS Test and Trace is working and our capacity is the highest it has ever been but we are seeing a significant demand for tests including from people who do not have symptoms and are not otherwise eligible.
“New booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily for those who need them and we are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak, and prioritising at-risk groups.
“Our laboratories are processing more than a million tests a week and we recently announced new facilities and technology to process results even faster.
"If you do not have symptoms and are not eligible to get a test you can continue to protect yourself if you wash your hands, wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules.”
