Covid-19: Yorkshire charity calls for regular tests for adult care staff

A lack of coronavirus testing for workers helping vulnerable adults is "unacceptable", a charity has said.

Paces, based in Sheffield, provides adult day care support for people with brain injuries and motor disorders.

It said a lack of regular Covid-19 testing was putting workers and the people they cared for at risk.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said it was "working hard to increase our testing capacity".

The charity has launched a petition calling on the government to provide regular weekly tests for staff.

Dr Spencer Pitfield OBE, chief executive of Paces, said: "It cannot be emphasised enough how important adult day care is - to provide respite for the family and friends of those caring for these individuals and for the individuals themselves who are nurtured and develop in an environment that helps them achieve their potential.

"None of that support can happen without adult day support workers and it is unacceptable that we are still unable to access regular testing for them - unacceptable for the support workers who want to keep themselves and their families safe, and unacceptable for those being supported who are being unwittingly and needlessly put at risk."

A DHSC spokesperson said: "We recognise the importance of day services and the key role they play in the lives of many vulnerable people they support.

"Our testing strategy is guided by SAGE and we will continue to work closely with SAGE and PHE to identify priority areas for testing as our capacity increases.

"We are working hard to increase our testing capacity, develop new technologies and reach more people."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.