Coronavirus: NHS hospitals told to begin mass testing staff and patients for virus antibodies

Government hopes initiative will help identity how widespread Covid-19 is across England

Hospitals have begun mass testing of NHS staff and patients for coronavirus antibodies to help identify how widespread the virus is across England.

NHS trusts have been told to begin antibody testing “as soon as their laboratory capacity permits” with some hospitals already collecting blood this weekend.

Both staff and patients will be given the chance to get tested, even where the patient does not clinically need it but is having their blood taken for another reason.

The testing will be used to build up a picture of how the virus has spread through the country and it will also give detailed information on its impact among health workers whose tests will be specifically logged as coming from NHS staff.

Antibodies are created when the immune system fights off a virus. They can provide the body with protection from being reinfected although it is still not known whether antibodies for Covid-19 do stop reinfection or prevent those with antibodies spreading the virus.

Public Health England has approved two antibody tests using blood taken from veins which are now being rolled out across the country. It is carrying out a study to determine if antibodies do result in immunity against coronavirus.

In a letter to hospitals, NHS England’s medical director Stephen Powis said trusts should start antibody tests as soon as possible, adding: “The antibody testing programme will provide information on the prevalence of Covid-19 in different regions of the country and help better understand how the disease spreads.

“This will work alongside PCR testing which confirms whether or not someone currently has the virus.”

The letter said patients can be tested as part of their clinical care, but added: “In circumstances where there is not a specific clinical indication for the test, the secretary of state has additionally decided that it may be offered to NHS patients already having their blood taken and who want to know whether they have been infected with Covid-19. Appropriate consent should be obtained and documented in the patient record.

“The result will be available to clinicians alongside other test results, and it is their responsibility to inform the patient of the result and that a positive test does not indicate immunity to Covid-19.”

Prof Powis added: “The test should progressively be offered to NHS staff who want it, including those working on NHS premises but not directly employed by the NHS, working for the NHS but not on NHS premises, and those in primary, community, and mental health care, including community pharmacists.

“Regions should plan to test members of staff who want the test as quickly as they can, starting early this week as soon as pathology networks are ready to begin processing samples. The likely staff groups to test first are in acute trusts in which prevalence has been highest.”

In the coming weeks, he said blood samples from other groups and those working in the community would be needed.

He added: “All samples must be identified as a member of NHS staff as we need to report to the Department of Health and Social Care the number of NHS staff tested and the results that are positive for Covid-19 antibodies.”

Staff will be given information and asked to sign a consent form and results should be available within 24 hours.

The results will not go on their employment record.

Prof Powis added: “We await further scientific guidance and decisions from DHSC as to whether staff will be tested once, or whether this will be a rolling programme with repeat testing.”

As the NHS looks to restart surgical operations and routine appointments, repeat testing for the virus and antibodies may become a crucial part of the way the NHS operates in future to avoid the spread of the virus within hospitals and between staff and patients.