Exclusive: Up to 30% of tests on NHS Tayside staff are Covid-19 positive
The Health Board's been carrying out appointment only tests on workers for the last two weeks
Last updated 30th Mar 2020
Tay News can exclusively reveal around a quarter of NHS Tayside staff tested for coronavirus have returned positive results.
For the last two weeks up to 150 have been tested through appointment only examinations. every day.
It's one of the first health boards in Scotland to check frontline workers' condition.
NHS Tayside Medical Director Professor Peter Stonebridge said: "We are now testing up to 150 members of staff per day.
"The covid positive rate is between 20 and 30%, which means we can get 70 to 80% of our staff back on the frontline, looking after people in the hospital and the community far quicker.
"We're now up to five bays of testing. It's through an appointment only system because we have to be able to prioritise where our staff shortfalls are.
"One day it might be in intensive care, another day it might be general practitioners or ambulance drivers."
Hear all the latest news from across Tayside, Perthshire and Angus on the hour, every hour, at Tay FM. Listen on FM, via our Radio Tay app, on your DAB radio, online at TAYFM.co.uk, or say ‘Play TAY FM’ on your Smart Speaker.