ONLINE systems allowing people to book coronavirus tests at the Creekmoor drive-through centre have regularly been switched off due to a lack of laboratory capacity.

In recent weeks a number of people have reportedly been unable to book a test at the park and ride site in Creekmoor, Poole, instead being directed to centres as far away as the Midlands.

Speaking at a meeting of BCP Council’s health and wellbeing board on Thursday, Dorset director of public health Sam Crowe, said the booking option was being “turned off” when laboratory capacity was stretched to ensure testing could be managed in areas with a greater rate of infection.

Last week, as reported by the Daily Echo, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed it had received reports that the option to book a test at Creekmoor was unavailable and said people could still turn up for a test unannounced.

Bournemouth Echo:

The issue was raised by council leader Vikki Slade on Thursday who questioned why the online booking system was sending people on hours’ long journeys elsewhere when there is capacity at the centre.

Mr Crowe said it was a “national issue” caused when laboratory capacity was reaching its limits.

“Unfortunately it’s quite a blunt instrument in terms of the way that the national portal is being turned off to make sure that capacity is being prioritised in other areas,” he said.

“It’s partly because there’s a lot more asymptomatic testing being done now. The testing effort is aware of that and the need to build capacity quickly.

“It’s not ideal and makes it quite difficult on a local level when we are trying to encourage people about the importance of getting tested.

“We don’t have control over the national portal and it’s unfortunate that it is being switched off at short notice and we have escalated this to the centre and they are aware that there isn’t enough capacity.”

He said he had been told laboratory capacity was expected to be increased within the next “two to three weeks” but that there would be a “pinch point” until then.

A spokesman for the DHSC said a new “lighthouse laboratory” was being opened near Loughborough as part of its work to increase capacity from 350,000 to 500,000 tests per day nationally by the end of October.