Hospital Covid Test – Grateful for the NHS but OMG!

I needed a hospital Covid test for my flexible sigmoidoscopy. That is a covid test done at the booking centre before a hospital procedure can take place. I hadn’t even so much as done a lateral flow before but the boys have been doing them twice a week. The person on the phone when booking me in had told me that the test would be on the Friday before my test. That all information would be sent in the post.

Booking the Hospital Covid Test

Whilst on the school run pick-up on the Tuesday, a lady rang from the booking office. Expecting her to be booking me in to my local test centre I had no worries about attending alone. I knew exactly where it was as our teen had had to go there when there was the Indian variant of covid-19 in his year bubble.

However, it was not and had to travel somewhere I didn’t know. I have never been keen on driving but recently I have been worse since someone hit my wing mirror. She tried to explain where it was but the only part of the area I knew she said it was the “other side.”

She was quite off with me about it and suggested someone else bring me. Now due to the isolating rules it could only really be my husband anyway but he had sorted work around the children already. Other people who knew said they were sorry they’d do it but were not available for one reason or another. The person on the phone wasn’t great with explaining the times either but I established that the last one was 4:20pm – which wasn’t possible with the school run.

I had no other choice than to agree to take myself, so took the first appointment time that she had originally offered me.

Preparing for the Hospital Covid Test

Having never taken a lateral flow test before i decided that I should do one to find out what they are like. Now I realise I should be doing them regularly but never thought about it before as I do not really mix and have had both my AstraZeneca vaccines. Plus I am mainly sat in the car on the school run. I have the NHS app for other places I have been – but again not really anywhere I am in for long, or by anyone.

So the next evening our younger teen explained the lateral flow process. I did one with him and he said which bits would be the same and what would be different. Although, I wasn’t convinced I had done it correctly but the control line did show up at least.

Self-Isolating before Going into Hospital

When booking me in for my hospital appointment I was informed that the person booking me in was new. She had told me that I needed to self-isolate from the Friday and that my family could come and go as normal.  Luckily on the Thursday before my appointment my husband was working “lates” and did the morning school run. This is because the information she had given me was slightly incorrect.

At 11:05am I received a call from our youngest’s school. They were ringing to see if he could stay after school. This meant I may not be able to collect him on time as I was not sure if I would make it on time after picking his brother up. A member of staff said that they would stay with him until I could arrive. This also meant he would need picking up from somewhere different to the usual routine.

The Covid-Test Centre

But then at 11:18am I received a call from a withheld number. It was the Covid testing place saying that I had missed my appointment. I explained that no it was tomorrow but she was adamqant it was that day. When trying to sort the time I could go in she kept suggesting 2:30pm and times very closely to it.

Again this person did not seem very warm and seemed quite agitated that I couldn’t just drop everything and have the time she wanted to give me! When I explained that I needed to do the school run she told me that I couldn’t because I have to self-isolate!

When she asked what I was doing and I tried to establish the times she was again just rude. I am not even sure how I established that she had an appointment free just before lunch but she did and I said I would have it! Also she explained that if I was late it would be a long wait as they go on their lunch break.

The Hospital Covid Test

My BMW found the Covid-Testing centre but not the bit where to park. Unlike our local one, that were no signs directing you to it. Luckily I found it, parked in the bay and rang the number. Then they asked me to reverse into Bay A. I had just about had enough by then and couldn’t see how I would manage it. The lady informed me it was okay I could use any bay. I was just like – “Do I have to reverse in?” and she said no. So that really helped.

Absolutely horrendous! This wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Luckily I guess the lady at the Covid testing centre did the test to me. There was absolutely no chance of getting it wrong! She explained what I needed to do and what not to. Which included not moving or trying to attack her. I thought why would I do that – until she was doing it!!

My throat hurt for days! And omg what she did with my nose! I think she did it a bit more than 10 seconds to be sure, but she certainly, in her words “got a good sample!”

Test over, I was given a leaflet and sent home to isolate.

And the children! Well I didn’t know until the last minute but my husband was able to pick them up! The after school club actually made it all fit in much better.