NHS Western Isles say testing at the Lighthouse was simply taking too long

By Peter Urpeth - Local Democracy Reporter
Published 14th Oct 2020, 09:47 BST
NHSWI have changed testing facilities.NHSWI have changed testing facilities.
NHSWI have changed testing facilities.
NHS Western Isles has confirmed that “the vast majority” of local COVID-19 tests are now being processed through NHS labs rather than through the Lighthouse laboratory in Glasgow. 

A spokesperson for NHS Western Isles said in a statement that the decision over the switch was made “around a week ago” as tests results were, they stated, taking “longer than expected” and “longer than we considered reasonable”.

NHS Western Isles also confirmed that all tests associated with the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Uists are now either going to the lab in Stornoway or to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for processing. 

“We have the capacity to manage this”, the NHS spokesperson concluded, “our equipment in Stornoway is very quick, and it only takes a couple of hours to process tests.”

Related topics:GlasgowStornowayClydeCovid-19NHS Greater Glasgow

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