COVID TESTING CENTRES
DELIVERING crucial public health services, in parternship with local authority
In early January of 2021, we were approached by North Somerset & South Gloucester Council to set up rapid lateral flow testing facilities within community settings. Shortly after this initial contact, we were also contracted by Bristol City Council to provide the same services within Bristol and then in Bath and North East Somerset.
The overall scope was to support the local authority teams with project management, logistics and supply chain management as well as a workforce recruitment and development programme. The project required stringent quality assurance and compliance, fiscal management and a significant stakeholder engagement process.
In real terms, this meant procuring test kits, PPE and additional consumables as well as the infrastructure required to turn unused venues into testing centres including queue management systems, testing booths, team welfare facilities and robust waste management throughout. We ensured all aspects of the testing centres met the clinical standards dictated by NHS Test and Trace and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Project Management: All-encompassing project management and delivery
Operations and Safety: Delivery in line with strict clinical frameworks
Stakeholder Engagement: Liaison with multiple high-level stakeholders
It also meant a significant workforce management undertaking. Working with event industry partners we recruited 250+ staff, carried out clinical standards training, as well designing as staffing rotation to ensure enough resilience in the workforce to meet the public's needs.
The first project was completed in just three weeks from inception to deployment, with multiple facilities created in total across the South West region, with testing capabilities for more than 38,000 people per week. In addition to providing this critical COVID testing service, we also placed a workforce of more than 200 people to execute tactical test delivery to homes in areas where the new variant meant mass testing of that community.
