A CORONAVIRUS test centre for NHS staff is being run at the Sixways Park and Ride in Worcester.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that 50 new drive-through test centres for NHS employees and their families are being set up across the country, starting in the main “hotspots” of the disease, including the Midlands.

Owned by Worcester Warriors rugby club, the Sixways Park and Ride has become a temporary testing centre operated in partnership with G4S, and is offering self-administered tests. Those tested will receive their results within a few days.

Worcester Warriors owner co-owner Colin Goldring said: “Warriors are proud to play our part in helping to protect frontline NHS and to support the government’s efforts to restrict the spread of Covid-19.”

“We have a large car park at Sixways, situated close to a junction of the M5 motorway and other main roads which makes the site easily accessible to NHS staff in Worcester, Worcestershire and the wider West Midlands. We were only too happy to help when we were asked about using our facilities for this drive-through testing centre.

“A number of our players and staff have already been involved in a range of initiatives to support the NHS and also to help out in the local community during these challenging circumstances.”

A spokesman for the DHSC said: “To ensure we make testing available in as many ways as possible and as convenient as possible we are setting up new test centres, using trained staff.

“We want to establish 50 sites initially, scaling up to however many are needed to gather enough samples to use our growing lab capacity.”

The focus of this programme is to ensure key members of the NHS workforce – for example doctors and nurses working in intensive care units – can rapidly find out if they or a member of their household is infected – and if not, return to work.

That is why they and their family members are being prioritised to begin with.

NHS trusts will decide who their key workers are on a hospital by hospital basis, and these key workers will be contacted, and they and members of their household will be able to access the test.

The spokesman added: “As testing capacity increases, we will increase the number of key workers from across the NHS and other sectors who can benefit. We know our social care workforce and other key workers are working night and day to support some of the most vulnerable in society and as testing capacity increases, there will be a full rollout for health, social care and other key workers.

“Data on the number of people tested will be released in due course.”