Key Worker Testing

The UK government has established a new network of Covid testing facilities for key  workers.

This programme runs alongside the existing programme of testing in the NHS for clinical purposes and testing of key workers in Health and Social Care.

Testing allows symptomatic key workers and their household members to know whether or not they have the virus, in turn keeping essential services running.

Key Workers include:

• Priority Group 1A: Staff delivering NHS services, providing social care to protect and care for the most vulnerable, all NHS staff and independent contractors working for the NHS, including community pharmacy and emergency dental care, and all social care and social work staff who work with vulnerable people and the social care system, including care homes, care at home and children’s services (including residential and secure care for children) and social care personal assistants
• Priority Group 1B: Staff with face-to-face roles in residential institutions with people in the care of the state and those who are working essential services with niche roles, where service resilience is at risk, including operational staff in prisons, all other carers working with looked after children (not included in 1A), those working on critical national infrastructure (e.g. energy supply) with niche skills essential to maintain services safely and defence staff living in Scotland who fall within the MOD’s very highest priority category for testing
• Priority Group 2: Essential workers in critical national infrastructure fundamental for safety and security, and life-line services. This includes police, fire and rescue, local authority staff, defence personnel, environmental protection, animal health and welfare, funeral industry and staff working for third sector organisations supporting people and children who are vulnerable, including grant aided schools, food supply chain and food processing workers, and workers in medicines and pharmaceutical supply, chemicals supply, energy and water supply and telecomms
• Priority Group 3: Staff directly involved in delivering other essential services. This includes staff providing child care or education for key workers, public transport workers, postal services, financial services, food retailers, construction and maintenance of essential public services, court and Crown Office staff, civil servants, politicians, consular corps, journalists and broadcasters
• Priority Group 4: Staff and volunteers in third or public sector organisations, and staff in nationally or locally significant industry important to economic sustainability and growth

Testing under the UK programme in Scotland is currently conducted in drive-through sites operating at:

• Glasgow Airport
• Edinburgh Airport
• Aberdeen Airport
• University of the Highlands and Islands campus in Inverness

For further information visit: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/overview/