Query regarding lateral flow tests and care home delivery

[Alantidey]

Whilst on delivery today, at a care home, I was confronted by a lady sat at a desk stating that I needed to do a lateral flow test in her presence in order to deliver the post the residents. She advised that she would be on site until such time as Boris states that no further testing is required.

The other option for admission to the premises is to show her on my phone proof that I had done a test myself and had a negative result in the last two days.

I asked her what would happen if I refused and she said that she would need to take a note of my details and reason for refusal.

I reluctantly agreed to have a test but can’t see that this is considered to be normal or within the care home’s mandate.

I stand to have a further 3 tests this week whilst delivering to this company alone.

This is not my normal daily delivery duty and I know the regular postman does carry out lateral flow tests at home.

I raised the matter with the Dom when I returned to the office to see what the company position would be in this regard.

Surely it is unacceptable to us as individuals as a breach of my rights and unacceptable to us as a company delivering items of post.

Has anybody anything to add to this?

[Alantidey]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but hopefully an admin person can move it.

Thanks

[POSTMAN]

What is the advice on delivering to care homes?
Where the current practice is to deliver to each door in a care home, the DOM should contact those care homes to agree to leave the mail at a central point. If the care home does not agree, then deliveries should be made in the normal way.

2nd post PDF in the Global Announcement...
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 71&t=94715

Personally I would refuse to do it (The test) but that is me.
And Boris hasn't said we have to do daily tests has he?
What did the DOM say?

[Alantidey]

He said he is to take advice on it.

I think I might have to refuse to deliver the post to them tomorrow if there is no movement.

Something needs to be done as potentially there can be more than one care home in each delivery requiring the same process to be followed.

Maybe it’s the private company’s policy.

Ironically, I delivered their 12 large boxes of lateral flow tests yesterday.

[2yearpostie]

No body can force you to do a test anywhere.

Write a p739 card out and leave at reception ( for each address if required) and get them to collect the mail/packets from the nearest post office /CSP.

[Alantidey]

Thank you. I thought that this is the way we would have to go.

Thankfully I took the test and it was negative anyway so at least I know that for now.

Strange thing is I don’t get the result to add to my record!

[2yearpostie]

Thank you. I thought that this is the way we would have to go.

Thankfully I took the test and it was negative anyway so at least I know that for now.

Strange thing is I don’t get the result to add to my record!

Or to put it another way if you take the test and test positive, will your manager be supportive you took an unnecessary test?

[olilew]

So did you have to stand there and wait the required 30 minutes for the result so you could deliver?

[Alantidey]

Strangely it only took about 20-30 seconds to register as negative.

Funnily enough there’s been a lot of noise about posties voluntarily taking tests twice a week.

Parents of children at school have to do it and register so why not the rest of us?

As to whether it’s a third party (customer) decides if you need to take a test to deliver to them that’s the tough question that needs to be answered and also what they are doing with your data etc etc

[Alantidey]

They clearly are not doing the tests correctly.

I have looked at the self test booklet and it says you need to wait 30 minutes for the result!

[POSTMAN]

See this LTB I posted today, it has all the info in with videos and drawings and things...
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 1&t=100540

And it says results after 30 mins in the 2nd video 20 sec in.

[Alantidey]

Dom has had a reply from his boss.

Single delivery point (at reception) from now on or they need to come and collect from delivery office.

Thanks for all your help

[POSTMAN]

Dom has had a reply from his boss.

Single delivery point (at reception) from now on or they need to come and collect from delivery office.

Thanks for all your help

Good to know and thanks for the update!

[Alantidey]

I can’t believe it. Dom has been and seen them. They backtracked and said test was optional.

She even waved me through saying I had taken a test yesterday.

Waiver in place for people not wanting to take the test.

So much was not explained by the company worker.

The way the sample was collected was completely wrong.

I confronted them with the facts that they had conducted my test wrong yesterday. They even argued the fact that the test takes “up to 30 minutes”

They have also obviously conducted the tests wrong of all people attending and out the health of their patients in danger by giving false negative readings when the test was incomplete.

Test and trace details not fully taken therefore my test will not have been recorded with nhs direct.

I will be completing a waiver next time I see that lady.

Furious with them!

[POSTMAN]

God help the people in there, can you go higher in there and speak to a manager, they are putting peeps lives at risk.