The City of York Council will expand their existing Lateral Flow Test booking system to include collection timeslots for home testing kits.
The move will see a new online process become available for local residents to book a collection time at any of York’s 4 symptom-free testing sites. This will look to complement their current asymptomatic testing strategy in accordance with Central Government’s ambitious testing targets.
The role of home test collection
The convenience and minimised risk of transmission using home testing kits has meant that the option has played an important role for many UK residents.
This is especially the case for residents shielding or without access to transport links, preventing the use of local testing sites. This in turn has allowed communities to support their friends and neighbours during this time; with travelling residents being able to pick up kits for those staying home.
In addition to this, those who have been unable to work from home during the pandemic have also benefited. By collecting kits to carry with them, residents would be able to test themselves during the week, notifying them of any infection and informing them to self isolate when necessary.
How will the new booking process be of benefit?
Through the introduction of a new online process, students and parents will be able to book into available timeslots at their local testing centre to pick up a home testing kit. This greater access to home test kits through the council website will aim to complement the asymptomatic test booking already available for York residents.
By creating timeslots for test collection, this will look to ensure both the necessary levels of staffing and resources are available at any given time, while also preventing unexpected high demand from walk-ins increasing the likelihood of COVID transmission.
The new booking type will also benefit York’s testing teams. Via it’s own booking process, testing centres will have access to a real-time overview of bookings and collections, alongside new reporting to monitor completed tests in the area.
If you would like to know more about Stopford’s work with the City of York Council on COVID-19, check out our COVID Test Booking Case Study. Interested in knowing more about Stopford’s versatile solutions like COVID Booking? Drop us a message via our contact form.