STAFF at Basingstoke hospital have been using Covid-19 home-testing kits twice a week.

In a report to Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust’s (HFHT) board of directors, it stated that at the time of writing 68 positive individuals had been identified, who had no Covid symptoms.

“This has prevented 68 people attending work and potentially passing their infection onto other colleagues or patients,” it said, adding: “There is a continued push to ensure that remaining staff have a kit at home.

“In parallel work is underway to establish the saliva testing processes so that this can be used for routine asymptomatic testing of staff in the longer term.”

The testing began in December using lateral flow test kits. The scheme is voluntary with encouragement for all staff to participate.

The kits allow staff to carry out a nasal swab and Covid-19 test at home before coming to work.

The aim is to reduce the risk of staff coming into work who may be Covid-positive but without any symptoms.

“As standard practice, colleagues have been asked to test twice a week, checking and reporting results using an online form before attending the workplace,” the report said, adding: “Colleagues testing positive are asked to remain at home, prior to arranging a further hospital administered Covid-19 test at one of the trust sites. If this yields a further positive test such staff are required to self-isolate and trust ’track and trace’ protocols are then immediately initiated.”

By the end of 2020, 5,967 tests were distributed to staff, with enough to cover the next three months and more expected this year. 

More than 17,000 tests were logged by hospital staff by the end of 2020, and the trust was hoping to build on this by starting regular saliva-based testing.