Book your test here:- Testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS
Thanks very useful
Thanks for this.
Does anyone know how long the results take? Is it an instant thing, or are you left wondering for a few days??
I was told from 48 hours up to 5 days so its not an instant test, they text you the result.
I can’t see unpaid carers on that list.
My Mum’s test in her care home has just come back negative by the way.
List of essential workers and those prioritised for testing (England only)
all NHS and social care staff, including:
doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff, including volunteers and unpaid carers
That’s about right for me; test on Sunday, got the negative result on Tuesday.
As per SunnyD’s quote, but I hardly think it matters, no-one asked who or what I was or what I did at any stage. You just fill in on the application the category that you fall in - which istr was Social Care.
The staff/attendants or whatever, all appeared to be Army Cadets. (My wife’s carer said they were also at a different test centre that she went to).
It was tbh a bit disorganised, I had printed off the form with a QR code that was our Admission Ticket, but their scanner had broken. The broken scanner also made a difference after the test was done and bagged up. I had to manually type in a web address on my phone and register the Barcode number on our tests - that’s not how I use my phone usually so that was a bit of a pita.
Oh thanks, I need to go to Specsavers!! 
. i can see that now and I may well book myself in.
As my Mum’s test has come back negative and if I get a negative one maybe her Care Home will let me visit her.
Do you have to have symptoms to get this test?
No.
Ayjay … do you have a link that confirms this please?
I’ve not had any symptoms and I booked a drive through test using the link in the first post and based on the criteria quoted below, (in italics). I think you’re over-thinking things.
Have you tried booking a test? Don’t forget, although you may test negative, you could catch it the next day, it’s a bit like an MOT on a car, meaningless after a couple of hours.
“Who can be tested
If you’re an essential worker in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can apply for priority testing through GOV.UK by following the guidance on testing for essential workers below.
List of essential workers and those prioritised for testing (England only)
all NHS and social care staff, including:
doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff, including volunteers and unpaid carers”