Kingussie and Grantown fire stations to double as Covid test centres

Covid testing sites are to be created at the fire stations in Grantown and Kingussie following the successful piloting of a scheme at Thurso and Lochgilphead.

The partnership between NHS Highland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service means that in all the Highlands will get 14 small scale centres, with the rest operational by mid-March.

There will be 21 Covid testing sites in total located at fire stations across the health board area with the remaining seven in Argyll and Bute.

People within driving or walking distance of these locations who have Covid symptoms will be able to book a test by calling NHS Highland on 01463 706015 – either an on-site test or tests that can be taken away and returned via priority post box will be offered.

If people drive to the site they can take the test themselves on-site and leave it for collection by a courier that day, alternatively people can also collect a test kit for someone else and bring it back for courier collection.

Some sites will operate a pick-up only model where tests can be returned the same day using a nearby priority post box.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the programme will make testing more easily available in the NHS Highland health board area which covers the largest land area of any health authority.

She said: “In recent weeks NHS Highland has been piloting a programme in Thurso and Lochgilphead fire stations in those communities have been used as bases where people can get tested.

“And that saves local residents from either having to wait for a home testing kit to arrive or having to wait until there's a mobile testing centre in their area or alternatively from having to drive quite a distance to a permanent testing centre.

“So due to the success of these initial pilots the decision has been taken now to expand that service and in the coming weeks a further 17 sites will open in rural locations across the NHS Highland area that means a total of 21 rural fire stations will be used as testing centres.

“Of course these sites will be used in tandem with the larger testing centres for bigger communities across the Highlands such as the regional drive-through site in Inverness, the walk through sites in Wick, Inverness and Oban and mobile testing units in more populous areas or areas which face a particular outbreak.

“These larger sites can carry out several hundred test a day and are hugely important but they often not needed or are not accessible enough for smaller communities, for example the two fire stations in Lochgilphead and Thurso averaged less than 10 tests a day each when they were piloting the new service.

“So in these circumstances the fire station tasting centres are a really valuable but also proportionate way of making testing more easily available and accessible to our rural populations.

“They don't deliver in large volumes but they really help in ensuring that people can get easier access to testing when they need it.”

Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, Director of Service Delivery for the SFRS said: "We are pleased that the success of the initial trial in Thurso and Lochgilphead now means that many more fire stations can assist rural communities to access Covid tests closer to home.

"Our staff have shown a real commitment to providing this service, whilst maintaining a capability to respond to emergencies, and I want to personally thank them for their ongoing efforts."

Sutherland will have three sites at Tongue, Dornoch, and Lairg; Wester Ross will be served by Ullapool, Lochcarron and Gairloch; Skye will have two at Broadford and Portree.

Lochaber will have Fort William, Fort Augustus and Acharacle.

The Covid testing will be delivered by firefighters at the stations in the region.

Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, SFRS’ director of service delivery, said: “We are pleased that the success of the initial trial now means that many more fire stations can assist rural communities to access Covid tests closer to home.

“Our staff have shown a real commitment to providing this service, while maintaining a capability to respond to emergencies, and I want to personally thank them for their ongoing efforts.”

An NHS Highland spokesman said they were pleased with the trial results, adding: “We look forward to working closely with colleagues in the SFRS in delivering further Covid-19 testing in remote and rural areas across Highland, Argyll and Bute.”

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