Staff and students are being invited to participate in the Scottish Government’s Asymptomatic Testing Programme.
Along with other safety measures and arrangements already in place on our campuses, regular testing will help to further reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 on campus.
It will do this by helping to identify asymptomatic individuals at the earliest opportunity.
Regular testing is open to all staff and students who are planning to attend campus for work or learning purposes. Testing is encouraged, however it is not a mandatory requirement for coming on campus.
It is important to note that this regular testing is only for individuals without symptoms. Those with symptoms must continue to follow the usual guidance. You can find more information on this here.
What will it involve?
The College has a supply of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits for use at home. We will provide a supply of these test kits, along with instructions for use, to any staff member or student who would like to take part.
LFD tests have been widely and successfully used to detect COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals.
LFD test kits can be collected at each campus reception from Monday to Friday between 10am and 12noon.
They are also available for evening class students from campus receptions on evening class nights only.
Once you have been provided with the LFD test kits, you should then test regularly at home, twice a week (every three to four days, ideally in the morning before coming on campus).
You will be given two boxes each containing 7 kits.
The LFD test kits will provide a quick result in around 30 minutes. Guidance on conducting self-testing will be provided with the test kit and can also be found below.
There is also a useful video to show you how to administer the test, available here:
Results
Once the test has been conducted you must log the test result – whether positive or negative – online at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
If you test positive, then you should not attend college. A PCR test should be booked through your nearest NHS COVID-19 testing facility. Please advise your Curriculum Manager/Line Manager of your result.
If you test negative, no further action is required. However, you should continue to follow all safety measures and arrangements in place on campus. Testing is an additional measure to reduce risk and does not replace other means.
Staff members who have a negative result should also continue to record their attendance on campus by using the COVID Reporting Tool on their My Employee record.
What next?
If you would like to take part, you should read the privacy notice and complete the online ordering and consent form.
Order Form - including Privacy Notice & Consent
A Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed and the College is compliant.
Within the form, you should identify which campus you would like to collect your kits from. You should also allow 24 hours prior to picking up the test at home kit following submission of your consent form.
You should follow any safety measures in place on campus when collecting your test kits.
You can also order testing kits directly from the Government's website at:
https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
Please note that this service is independent of the College and outwith our control.
Once staff and students have received testing kits from either the College or the Government, then they should then begin regular testing as soon as possible.
As advised, participation in the programme is optional. However, we are strongly encouraging all staff and students to take part and to contribute to the safety and wellbeing across our learning community.
If you have any questions, please email estates@forthvalley.ac.uk in the first instance.
NHS Downloads
No test is perfect, but the speed and convenience of LFD tests supports detection of the virus in asymptomatic individuals who would not otherwise be tested. They are clinically approved and are crucial in the fight against the virus. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised the use of these at-home tests for these purposes.
LFD tests are very accurate, which means that only a very small proportion of people who do not have coronavirus will receive a positive result (false positive). The tests are better at picking up true positive cases when a person has a higher viral load and is more contagious. There is a risk of returning a false negative result when viral loads are low (e.g. in the early stages of infection). This is why Public Health Scotland recommend two LFD tests 3 to 4 days apart, or regular testing, to enhance detection by picking up any cases which were not detected during the first test and to catch any new infections.
If you test positive using an LFD, it is likely that you are infectious at that moment, whereas people testing positive on a ‘Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)’ test could be in the less infectious early or late stages of disease. This means that by using the LFD, we can identify people with a high viral load who are the most likely to spread the virus further.
Please note that the College does not have access to the results that are uploaded to the government portal.
However, if you test positive you should inform your Line Manager/Curriculum Manager.
Please follow the instructions carefully and take time to understand how the tests work. No responsibility shall sit with the college in the event of harm due to misuse or any other occurrence.
Should an item within the test at home kit be damaged or lost please do not proceed to use the kit. The college cannot assist with broken or lost items.
Any incidents that could potentially impact the quality or safety of testing should be reported to the MHRA.
For incidents occurring in a home setting, please report any issues (for example: something damaged, or missing or difficult to use in the kit, you are unable to log result) to 0300 303 2713.
If there is a clinical incident which led to, or has the potential for, harm (e.g. swab breaks in the mouth, bleeding, allergic reaction on using the kit etc.) please report it on https://coronavirusyellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.
This is not for seeking immediate medical care. Medical care should be sought through the usual route of contacting 111 or 999.
If you receive a positive result on your Lateral Flow Device at home, you should report the result online at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result, self-isolate and book a confirmatory PCR test. This can be done via https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. We would advise visiting a community or drive-through test site as this is the quickest way to get tested, or you can order a home test kit.
It is important that you begin self-isolation immediately after you receive the positive result from the LFD test, and do not wait until the result of your PCR test.
You should report the result online at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. Staff and students who test negative will be able to resume their activities as normal.
This means the test has not run correctly. You should report the result online at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. You need to take another test. Use a new test kit, and do not reuse anything from the first kit.
This testing programme is for people with no symptoms. If you develop symptoms at any time (such as a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste) you must immediately self-isolate, and book a PCR test by calling 0800 028 2816 or visiting https://www.nhsinform.scot/. People with symptoms must not rely on a negative LFD result to continue to attend campus.
Tests should not be taken.
Test at home kits will not be handed out without consent being received in advance. You can provide consent here.
The test at home kit which is handed over will be tracked to the individual as per one of the conditions of consent therefore please do not intentionally misuse or allow anybody else access to the test at home kit including members of the same household.
All data retained will be in line with GDPR regulations and stored securely for tracking purposes only as part of the agreement and participants consent for participating in the programme. Information will be deleted by the college once deemed no longer valid for tracing purposes by the Scottish Government. A Data protection impact assessment has been completed.