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Publication - Advice and guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): social care and community based testing guidance

Last updated 15 September 2022 - see all updates
Part of
Coronavirus in Scotland, Health and social care

Guidance on coronavirus testing for the social care sector.

This document is part of a collection

Testing that will continue in adult social care services during the pause

Kits will be provided by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS)

Situation Type of test
Admission testing from the community for care homes LFD
Symptomatic adult social care client facing staff (including return to work testing) LFD home testing
Symptomatic care home residents PCR
Rapid response testing in care homes LFD
Outbreak testing in care homes PCR and LFD - specified by Local Health Protection

Health and social care staff  should no longer order kits through UK Government channels.

First published
14 April 2022
Last updated
15 September 2022 - show all updates

  1. Updated and addition of a link to a letter

  2. PDFs unpublished as content was outdated.

  3. Updated to include the April 2022 changes inc supply, testing and recording results

  4. Updated Test supply, delivery and enhanced testing for the sector.

  5. Updated to reflect current situation with Omicron variant.

  6. FAQs updated.

  7. Updated COVID-19 social care testing - Orient Gene webinar slides: September 2021 and main text.

  8. Minor update to remove sentence re. testing webinars.

  9. All sections updated and new documents added to Sector updates, Training and Guidance.

  10. Document added under Sector letters and updates

  11. Updated LFD testing guidance PDF and testing FAQs PDFs published.

  12. Updates to main page, added larger delivery of stock and updated LFD registration form to sector letters, invitation to provide feedback on later flow testing in social care letter (sector letters section) taken offline, infection prevention and control care at home webinars (training section) taken offline.

  13. Revised page title to: social care and community based testing guidance

  14. Added updated information for providers who use the NSS portal to register testing kits, 20 May 2021.

  15. PCR guidance and overview page updated

  16. Overview pages updated and new edition of FAQs included.

  17. Amended page text and added 2 replacement pdfs and 3 new pdfs inc updated FAQs

  18. Updated FAQs

  19. Self testing training slides added as well as a sector update on LFD bulk uploads and logging results.

  20. Content updated to reflect latest position.

  21. Testing FAQs added.

  22. Page content and FAQ and LFD testing guidance updated.

  23. Page title, content and FAQ updated.

  24. Updated sector letters, guidance docs and delivery dates.

  25. Link to guidance added - testing arrangements for care at home and and care home settings.

  26. Links to additional training resources added.

  27. Revised FAQ and LFD staff testing guides.

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