Coronavirus: A family’s experience of using the new Peterborough testing site

Rob Jarvis, who works in a care home, booked a test as a colleague had tested positive. As a precaution, he and his family booked the test the very next day. Though Rob noted they did not sleep a lot the night before and were “very anxious”, they found the testing easier than they thought.

He said: “The more people know how easy it is to be tested, the safer we all will be. When we arrived we joined a small queue, which moved quickly.

“They scan your printed booking forms, then move to the next stage and they tell you which bay to go to. Once at the front, you are shown a phone number to ring which gives you instructions on what to do. Then you park up, do the test, then you put your barcode on the test tube, seal it and drive to the next stage where you drop it off.”

Expecting a wait on their results, the family were surprised when two results came in the next day, though Rob and his daughter had to retest due to unclear results.

Presuming booking a retest would be a “struggle”, Rob managed to book in and found the process “as organised and as efficient” as the first time.

Thankfully, Rob and his family are all doing well.

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