Want the best Cheshire news straight to your inbox every day? Sign up to our newsletter! Subscribe here Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A doctor from Wilmslow is offering frontline NHS staff free coronavirus testing after becoming 'frustrated with the government’s lack of action'.

Dr Roshan Ravindran, who runs aesthetic clinic KLNIK, has secured thousands of MHRA-approved test kits that screen for Covid-19.

Having previously closed KLNIK due to the pandemic, he has now re-opened exclusively to carry out the free on-the-spot tests for those who book an appointment.

The medic hopes the act of goodwill will provide key NHS workers “the peace of mind they are looking for".

His KLNIK team have carried out hundreds of tests over the last 10 days and are continuing the service this week.

With results being available in around 15 minutes, they are being inundated with bookings from medics and nurses desperate to find out if they’ve previously contracted or currently have the virus.

The government is facing growing criticism over the lack of widespread testing of NHS workers as the death toll from Covid-19 in the UK exceeds 13,000

Downing Street has said the UK now has the capacity to conduct 35,000 coronavirus tests a day - although fewer than half that number are currently being carried out.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that in the 24 hours up to 9am on Wednesday, 15,994 tests were carried out across England, Scotland and Wales.

Of those, 13,950 were carried out by NHS England, Public Health England and the devolved administrations.

Dr Rosh said: “We have a situation at the moment where frontline staff are coming into contact with Covid-19 patients and then being sent home to self-quarantine without a test."

The tests are available for NHS staff with a valid NMC PIN, GMC number, HCA, paramedic, pharmacist, radiographer badge and valid NHS email address.

Dr Rosh has also partnered with Public Health England to provide data on the results.

Healthcare workers who meet the qualifying criteria make an appointment through a website, allocated in 15-minute slots, and then turn up at the car park of KLNIK.

They collect a test and then stay in their cars, communicating with Dr Rosh via telephone as he directs them how to carry out the finger-prick blood screening within their car.

The test is then analysed while the frontline care worker remains in their vehicle. Dr Rosh is then able to give advice about the test result.

The testing process is entirely contactless. The care worker does not come into direct contact with any of the KLNIK staff, therefore adhering to the social distancing government advice.

The tests are reportedly 98 per cent accurate for IgG – the long-term immunity marker. However, there is a chance some will need a second test.

Dr Rosh explained: “I must stress there is a chance of a 'false negative'.

“This occurs in the first few days of infection when your IgM antibody level does not rise high enough to be detected as positive. If you have symptoms soon after the test you may need to repeat it in seven days.”

The funding for the free NHS tests has been provided by entrepreneurs who are donating to give back to the NHS during this unprecedented time.

NHS frontline workers can book their free testing appointment by visiting covid19testing-kit.co.uk.