Drive-thru testing extended to Sandwell Council health workers
Frontline health workers at Sandwell Council have been given access to drive-thru testing facilities for coronavirus.
Social carers and care workers can now get swab-tested at a dedicated drive-thru site set up opposite Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich.
Initially, the test centre was only to NHS staff. But now the facilities have been extended to council health workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Toby Lewis, chief executive at the NHS Trust, said: "Today this service is also supporting social workers and care workers from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.
"Testing local people who are staff of the NHS or local authority, or key workers in Care homes, is absolutely vital in the next few weeks.
"It is important everyone locally continues to stay home to save lives, and meanwhile those whose job is needed to tackle Covid-19 are protected too.
"We are working closely with the council to make sure we maximise our joint ability to help care staff from all sectors with swab tests both at the general hospital and in community locations."
The initiative was welcomed by Sandwell Council leader Yvonne Davies, who said: "The council is pleased to see that testing is getting under way.
"We hope that this will support efforts to respond effectively to the challenges ahead."
Other drive-thru centres are located at Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, and Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham.
