Care Home Left Fuming After Endless Covid Test Chaos
The Brakenlea Care Home in Shawford, near Winchester, is crying out for help after a string of mishaps with costly Randox Covid-19 test kits. This Brookvale Healthcare-run facility, home to 25 vulnerable residents in single rooms, has faced mounting problems with government-supplied tests priced at £120 each.
Faulty Tests, No Pick-ups, and Voided Results
- In May, a batch of Randox test kits was deemed unsafe and had to be scrapped.
- Later the same month, tests were collected by courier, but all results came back void.
- On 27th May, yet another batch was picked up—but the lab claimed it never received them.
- Most recently, 35 tests conducted on residents and staff on 8th October were never collected as the courier failed to show up.
When the care home sought advice, Public Health England instructed them to dump the unused tests in a hazardous waste bin – not an ideal solution for sensitive residents.
Trauma for Residents and Staff
Testing isn’t straightforward. Staff must collect throat swabs, which are far more invasive and uncomfortable than nose swabs. Residents, many with dementia or frailty, struggle to cooperate during the procedure, making accuracy critical.
“As a care home, we are doing everything we can to keep our staff and residents safe but feel we are being let down by these testing companies,” said coordinator Stef.
“We are stuck with a box of void Covid tests we can’t just dispose of. Residents with dementia find the testing traumatic and can become agitated.”
“I spent hours packing and submitting tests, wasting PPE and staff time, putting residents through discomfort for nothing. This isn’t the first time we’ve faced faulty or void tests.”
Randox Silent as Public Health Steps In
Randox has refused to comment on individual cases.
Public Health England confirmed a separate testing service exists for care home staff and residents, who do not need symptoms to qualify for tests. But as this saga shows, the delivery and collection system still leaves much to be desired.
