You can get a throat and nose swab test for whether you currently have coronavirus. This is part of the governments' 5-pillar strategy for coronavirus testing. Testing is most effective within 3 days of symptoms developing.
Who can be tested
Anybody with coronavirus symptoms can get tested.
Get tested
Self-referral
If you meet the criteria, you can select a regional testing site drive-through appointment or home test cut.
Employer referral
The employer referral portal allows employers to refer essential workers who are self-isolating either because they or member(s) of their household have coronavirus symptoms, for testing.
For most employees, only symptomatic people in the household can be tested. If the employee works in social care, however, the employee can be tested whether symptomatic or asymptomatic.
It is a secure portal for employers to use to upload the full list of names and contact details of self-isolating essential workers.
If referred through this portal, essential workers will receive a text message with a unique invitation code to book a test for themselves (if symptomatic) or their symptomatic household member(s) at a regional testing site.
In order to obtain a login, employers of essential workers should email portalservicedesk@dhsc.gov.uk with:
- organisation name
- nature of the organisation’s business
- region
- names (where possible) and email addresses of the 2 users who will load essential worker contact details
Once employer details have been verified, 2 login credentials will be issued for the employer referral portal.