A COUPLE are ‘angry and frustrated’ over delays in coronavirus test results which stopped a care home worker returning to her job early.

Graham Place and wife Pauline went for Covid-19 checks in York early this month hoping she could be cleared of the infection in time to cut short her 14-day isolation at home.

But Mr Place received his all-clear from the virus on Thursday and his wife was still waiting for her test result when she went back to work yesterday.

He said it raised questions about the government’s proposals to increase testing to get people back to work.

They are concerns echoed by Blackburn MP Kate Hollern who branded the process ‘shambolic’.

Mr Place, of Hazel Close, Bank Top, Blackburn, said: “This is ridiculous. We are angry and frustrated. We only went for the test so my key-worker wife Pauline could get back to work early.

“Now she has gone back after 14 days of self-isolation with the family. It defeats the whole object of going for the test. It doesn’t look good for the government’s plans to got people back to work by testing and contact tracing.”

A government spokesman said 95 per cent of test results were returned in 48 hours.

Mrs Hollern said: ‘I am deeply disappointed to hear that Mr Place’s wife has still not had her test result back. The impression I get is that the communication has been shambolic. People simply cannot be left in limbo in this way.

“The government been too slow to act on testing, and is now playing catch up. It concerns me that lives may have been lost as a result of this.”

Mr Place and his wife’s problems began when he was taken by ambulance to the Royal Blackburn Hospital on April 30 with a stomach complaint.

She rang her bosses at the Hollymount Residential and Dementia Care Centre in West Park Road, Blackburn, who told her she must self-isolate for 14 days unless she got tested and cleared It defeats the whole object of going for the test Graham Place of Covid-19.

She and her husband booked test appointments in York on Monday May 4 and were told to expect their results in 48 hours.

Blackburn with Darwen Council public health boss Cllr Damian Talbot said: “This case is very worrying.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We have doubled the capacity of laboratories. This has resulted in 95 per cent of tests being processed in less than 48 hours. ”

Nelson Cllr Azhar Ali, leader of the county council Labour group, said: “There is no point people going for testing if it takes this long to get the results.”