ANGRY residents have demanded answers after delays to coronavirus test results forced them to remain home with no income for nearly two weeks.

Some are having to waiting 12 days for the test results to come back.

Scott Stoneage has told the Daily Echo how he has waited more than 12 days to receive the results of a coronavirus test, which may leave him without two weeks of 
wages.

The father-of-two explained how his 13-year-old daughter, Tegan, had began to feel unwell on October 6.

The following day she was taken to Southampton Airport testing centre. 

Daily Echo:

Charlie, 11, Scott, and Tegan, 13

Both of his children were unable to attend school due to self-isolation rules, and the 43-year-old was also unable to continue working as a manufacturer.

The tests on average take 48 hours to return however by day three Scott, who lives in Fareham, decided to call the 119 service number to see what was going on. 

“They told me I might have to wait five days,” he said. 

“I said that was fine, I know how many people are being tested at the moment.

“Day five came and I still hadn’t heard anything back. I called them again and they confirmed that the test had been recorded.

“By day nine I was starting to get nervous. I called again and I was told it was being investigated.”

By yesterday, Scott had still not received the results of his daughter’s test.

He explained how he is unsure if he will be paid for the two weeks he had off, as his employer cannot decide if the issue is a childcare or coronavirus problem. 

“Potentially we are in a situation where I won’t get paid for two weeks. 

“My wife is very ill and I am the sole income of this house. 

“It will leave me £800 out of pocket and that’s one month’s rent. It’s devastating.”

Another Hampshire woman, who has asked not to be identified, explained how she missed her grandfather’s funeral due to missing results. 

She took her daughter to be tested at Southampton Airport testing Centre on Monday, October 12, and has still not had her results back. 

“She said: “We have phoned to chase five times to no avail. 

“We are in a position where our daughter needs to be examined by a GP as she is ill with a terrible cough that she’s had for two months and a very rattly chest. 

“The GP quite rightly can’t examine her until we get a recent negative result. 

“So we now may have to take her to hospital to get treatment as the results are taking so long.

“I missed my grandad’s funeral as a result of the long wait.”

The Daily Echo contacted the Department of Health and Social Care to ask why the tests were so late, but they did not give a reason for the delay. 

A spokesperson said: “NHS Test and Trace is processing tests at an unprecedented rate - 270,000 a day on average over the last week – with the majority of the public who undertake an in-person test are receiving their results the following day, and reporting no issues at all. 

“Nearly 700,000 people who may otherwise have unknowingly been at risk of spreading coronavirus have been contacted and we continue to ramp up our testing capacity to meet our target of 500,000 tests a day by the end of October.”