Since November 2020 we have been operating an on-site asymptomatic Covid testing facility to help keep our community safe and break chains of transmission.
As the country’s response to Covid continues to evolve, we now enter a new phase for testing at St George’s.
Collect your LFD Covid home test kits on site
The government strongly advises that all of us who are regularly on site or travelling from home should be undertaking Covid testing twice weekly (3-4 days apart), to break the chains of transmission.
From Monday 17 May, we will each be able to collect packs of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) Covid tests on site, to use at home.
Each kit contains seven tests, are easy to administer and provide results in about 30 minutes. Tests must be taken at home, not on site. Once you have your result, we strongly recommend that you record it via the report a Covid-19 result page of the government website, and link your test to St George’s.
Advice on answers to provide when recording your result, so that the test is attributed to St George's, is as follows:
- When asked 'Who was the test for?' please reply 'A nursery, school, college, university, childcare provider or other education provider'
- You will then be able to respond whether you work for a university or go to university (students)
- You will then be able to state 'St George's Hospital Medical School' in the drop down for the name of the university.
For the first 2 weeks of operation kits will be available for collection as follows:
- Students can collect kits from the Student Life Centre from 12pm-2pm, Monday-Thursday
- Staff can collect kits from the main university reception on the ground floor of Hunter Wing from 12pm-2pm, Monday-Thursday.
Information on collection dates and locations following the first fortnight of operation, will be communicated in due course.
Before 17 May have three tests at our university test centre
Government guidance suggests that, before switching to the ‘LFD Collect’ model, those of us on site regularly should have three Covid tests at a test centre.
Whilst we know that many students and staff have been accessing lateral flow testing already, we would like to remind you that the university test centre will be operating on the following dates to give staff and students the opportunity to have three tests:
- Thursday 6 May from 12pm-2pm
- Monday 10 May from 12pm -2pm
- Thursday 13 May from 12pm-2pm.
Book your test here
If you would prefer a test in a testing centre, there is advice on other routes to get tested on the Wandsworth Borough website.
If you test positive by any method, you must isolate in order to prevent passing on the virus and inform the University. Staff should contact their line manager and hrhelp@sgul.ac.uk and students should contact coronavirusconcern@sgul.ac.uk.
Following a positive LFD test result, students and staff should take a follow-up polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test as soon as possible.
Following the session on Thursday 13 May, the university’s testing centre will close. We are in discussion with the Students’ Union about the timeframe for reopening the Robert Lowe Sports Centre.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the staff and students who have been involved in running our test centre, and also to those who have been getting tested. When we were first made aware of the requirement for the university to have its own testing facility, it seemed a daunting task, but the dedication and sheer hard work of many allowed us to rise to the challenge. I am grateful to all of you who have gone and above and beyond to enable us to do everything possible to keep our community safe.
Best wishes,
Paul Ratcliffe Chief Operating Officer