FIFE MSP, Alex Rowley, has raised concerns over Covid testing capacity with the First Minister in the Scottish Parliament, calling for capacity to be bumped up as we move towards winter.

The Labour MSP highlighted that there are already multiple cases of people being let down by the testing programme with reports of tests not being collected, or no availability for testing in local areas.

Commenting, Mr Rowley said: “The First Minister has announced a new walk-through test centre in St Andrews, which is welcome, but we will need more capacity and accessibility for the whole of Fife.

“Today we have heard of a parent of a pupil in Kirkcaldy who has tested positive for the virus but didn’t receive her results for over a week after the test and had assumed she was not carrying the virus. This highlights quite starkly why testing capacity and turnaround has to be increased if we are going to contain this pandemic".

He added: “As we move into winter, we will need to see a massive increase in testing as people may be displaying Covid symptoms which may or may not be regular seasonal colds and flus. In order to stop Covid spreading, protect people and to ensure no one has to self-isolate when they don’t have the virus; we will need to see much much more testing.

“I have asked the First Minister to ensure that happens, and I welcome her commitment to making it happen. We have been told since the start of this pandemic that testing is key, and the Scottish Government needs to do all it can to make sure that it takes place on the scale necessary".