Following our previous communication informing you of our intention to make home test kits available for staff, judiciary, contractors, jurors, professional court users (including legal professionals) who regularly access our buildings, we would like to provide you with further detail around the collection service operating at Liverpool Civil and Family Court.
Why are we offering Home Test kits?
HMCTS is committed to supporting The Department of Health & Social Care’s national testing programme to identify individuals within the population who are positive for Covid-19 but do not have symptoms. Identifying asymptomatic positive cases and informing them to self-isolate will reduce the spread of the virus. We have been operating on-site testing stations at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Southwark Crown Court, Leicester Crown Court, Reading Crown Court, Leeds Combined Court, Winchester Combined Court and Northampton County Court Business Centre. Since 8 March, we have been piloting home test kit collection in some of our courts. To date, none of our testing solutions have returned any positive cases.
Testing will supplement our existing COVID-secure measures, provide additional reassurance to staff and court users and help us identify asymptomatic people who need to self-isolate, but who would not otherwise be identified.
Home testing will allow court users to test themselves before coming to court, meaning those who are asymptomatic but test positive can follow NHS advice and stay at home. This will help to keep courts and tribunals safe by reducing the risk of exposure/transmission.
Home Testing solution
Testing will be voluntary. We’re offering staff, judiciary, contractors, professional court users (including legal professionals) who regularly access our buildings self-administered test kits to be used at home. Each box can be collected from our site and will include seven tests that will enable two tests a week to be taken for a three-and-a-half-week period.
The tests detect the presence or absence of coronavirus by applying a swab or saliva sample to the device’s absorbent pad. The sample runs along the surface of the pad, showing at the end a visual positive or negative result dependent on the presence of the virus.
Full guidance is provided with the kit. The kits will be available for collection in person from a designated collection point within the court. Test results are self-processed and reported via the NHS self-reporting site. The Data Privacy Notice explains how NHS Test and Trace will use your data.
Lateral Flow Tests detect whether the viral load for COVID-19 is high enough to identify whether an individual is likely to be infectious. The result of the test is valid at the point in time that the test is taken.
If the test gives a positive result, court users must follow the Stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and self-isolate and should also notify the court where the test was collected.
If the test is negative, then the viral load is not indicative of an individual being infectious and they can continue with normal activities.
Details of the collection service
The collection service will commence on Monday 26 April 2021. Please collect your kit from the Library on the 3rd floor at any of the following time periods:
Monday – Friday
08.45 – 10.45 and 15.30 – 16.30
We will review these days and times and make adjustments if necessary. I will let you know if we need to make any changes.
Additional Information
In England, those who don’t visit a court or tribunal site regularly, work from home, or where home delivery is more convenient, will be able to order home-testing kits online via the new government scheme from 9 April. Or you may be able to get a rapid test from an NHS site. The best way to find a location is to use the NHS COVID-19 Test and Vaccination Site Finder.
In Wales, if you have coronavirus symptoms, you can book a PCR test through gov.uk. This is a full test, rather than a rapid lateral flow device test.
If you have any additional questions, please do get in touch.
Sue Linton
Operations Manager
Liverpool Civil & Family Court