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Behind the scenes of the drive-through carrying out 130 Covid-19 tests per day

David Hannant

Published: 3:29 PM April 30, 2020 Updated: 7:24 PM November 22, 2020

Nursing staff assist NHS staff and keyworkers to use the swabs at the drive through Coronavirus testing facility at the Norwich Research Park. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2020

More than 1,200 key workers have been tested for coronavirus at Norwich’s main testing centre - which is carrying out 130 tests every day.

The drive-through centre, which has been operational for three weeks, is based in the Centrum car park of the Norwich Research Park, close to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) in Colney.

Here, redeployed staff members from the hospital and the research park are working long hours to carry out the tests, which are being made available the NHS staff and other key workers - and preventing long haul drives to places like Stansted Airport, Peterborough and Ipswich where national centres are based.

So far, some 150 different organisations have registered to book in their staff members for tests.

The centre operates much like any drive-through restaurant - individuals are tested by staff members without needing to leave their vehicle. However, tests are made by appointment only.

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Richard Goodwin, NNUH chief of clinical support services, said: “The centre has been up and working for a few weeks but opened to wider key workers on Monday.

“We are testing around 130 people today (Thursday) but have the capability to test a lot more than that and we are ready to test whoever we need to.

“Working with our partners in the community we consolidated the testing in Norwich to this one site.

“We’re quite proud of the fact we have managed to set this one here - we knew it was the right thing to do.”

Dr Karim Gharbi, a geneticist at the Earlham Institute, who has been coordinating volunteer efforts, said: “Testing capacity has been a key focus from the beginning of this pandemic. Our volunteers are helping to keep NHS staff and key workers safe.

“We’ve heard a lot about meeting targets but this is all about channelling the region’s expertise and a desire to help into something that can and will make a difference.”