would not even consider it! There is a national shortage of tests for people who need them, my wife had to have a test the other week before going to hospital for a minor operation - had to travel 30 miles to get the test - and that was with the hospital booking not trying to do it direct.

Im not sure the NHS would do this for you at the moment - plus how are you going to make people do it? I dont think HASWA gives you the power to insist - so what if the peerosn refuse - what will you do?

With Brian

You cannot demand a test, and even if they took the test YOU are not guaranteed to be provided the answer.

You will also not be able to insist any individual takes the vaccine (when one appears).

Need to be very careful around GDPR - latest fine H&M £32.1M

Originally Posted by: Kate

It's exceeding what you are supposed to do but in a bad way.

The NHS do not advise testing close contacts who haven't developed symptoms.  It's 14 days isolation and that's that.

This is because a negative test does not tell you whether someone is in the early stages of infection where the virus hasn't reproduced enough to be detectable in a test, but may yet reproduce enough to be a risk to others.

So a negative test result wouldn't be something you could act on.

If you can't act on it, why do it?

I understand and agree with your thinking on theis, but it does beg the question; why are hospitals conducting testing on prospective patients?

Originally Posted by: Kate

Because they will act on a positive test result - presumably by deferring the treatment.

Spot on Kate - in wifes case it was a complex tooth extraction that could not be done at the dentist - the last thing the surgen wanted was to be close to her mouth for 90 miniutes (told you it was complex) if she had been positive reguradless of PPE - and in that case i think its a sensible precaution - but not in a general workplace.

Thank you all for your input 

The idea we were looking into was more for individuals who had tested positive and we would pay for them to be tested following the isolation period privately, As many of our workforce are sub-contractors, the concerns were if we can trust that they are better after the 10/14 day isolation period? When they may be willing to come to site with symptoms in order to get paid.  This is why it was raised. 

My initial reaction was that all we can do is work in line with government guidelines, and control the areas within our control, but thought I would ask for other opinins, as I know other places are conducting workplace testing. 

Much appreciate the feedback. 

Nia 

If they have been positive when tested then isolate surely the test will still indicate the presence of the disease/anti-bodies after 14 days? Ok research is out as to whether "immunity" is attained.

If I smoke a joint and get tested it is positive - 30 days later the same test can still detect weed even if in the intervening period I have not taken any canabis products.

If I drink several pints and get tested I will be over the drink drive limit - avoid alcohol for a week and get re-tested and magically I am not over a prescribed limit.

What cannot be tested for, and what you are actually after, is are they "transmitting".

I actually posted this in the wring thread...soz :)

to answer the OP...we have an assessment process which looks at each person risk for HCID..based on that risk is the requirement for testing...however the testing is not as reliable as you would like..reference:

https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2516