Laura Doel, Director of NAHT Cymru, said: “We are receiving an alarming number of reports that school staff are struggling to get test appointments or home testing kits for coronavirus.  Some school staff have been offered test appointments over a hundred miles away, as far apart as Cardiff and London in the south and one staggering case of someone in Bangor being offered an appointment in Inverness.

“Return to school plans are predicated on having certain levels of staff to maintain all safety measures.  It is simply unacceptable that staff who are displaying symptoms have to remain off work for days in some cases waiting to be tested and have the results.  This is putting a considerable strain on the school workforce and it is only a matter of time before classes or even whole schools have to close due to staffing issues.

“Today I have written to Education Minister Kirsty Williams and Health Minister Vaughan Gething, urging them to make school staff a priority group for testing.

“Schools are playing their part in return plans but they cannot do it alone; tests need to be available so those who are fit can return to work and those who are not can isolate, and the track and trace process be initiated.”

Press and Media contacts:

Steven George
NAHT Head of Press and Media
01444 472886
07970 907730

Rose Tremlett 
Senior Press Officer 
07545 354363

Email : press.office@naht.org.uk