A nurse broke down in tears after reportedly being told she wouldn't received a coronavirus test before Christmas this year, despite working 12-hour unpaid shifts.
Erin Hathaway, a student nurse in Blackpool spoke about her heartache on social media.
The University of Manchester student was told she would not be getting the test before going home for the holidays, she claims.
The decision made by the placement hospital would place her family at risk she said, reports LancashireLive.
Visibly distressed, Erin explained how she will miss the December 15 deadline for tests put in place by the University of Manchester.
Erin, who works 12-hour unpaid shifts as part of her placement, claims she will be working until December 18 – so unless she pays for a private test she will not know if she has coronavirus before heading off home to her family.
In an emotional statement, she said: "After about two weeks of asking at placement whether I can get a test before Christmas so I can make sure if I'm negative from Covid, Ive been told I will not be provided with a test from the hospital I've been working at since September.
"I've also been told from uni today that they won't be testing students after December 15 and I'm looking to finish placement between 16th and 18th so I can't get a test from uni either.
"Which means that I'm going to have to try and get a test myself the week before Christmas, a few days before Christmas, when everybody else is going to be trying to get one just so I can see my family – because I've not seen them in a really long time.
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"It makes me so furious that we're just not getting tested but we are being told that we are essential workers and that we are needed by the NHS and 'we appreciate you' – but we're not going to make sure that your family are safe before you go home because you're not that important, because you're not technically a member of staff but you'll have the same exposure as every other member of staff and you'll still have to be in contact with Covid patients but we are not going to test you."
"Everything feels like a battle and I'm tired of fighting," she added.
The University of Manchester was contacted for comment and subsequently informed LancsLive that its testing policy had been reviewed.
A spokesperson said: “It is very important that our students on NHS placements can have access to testing. We obtained government permission yesterday to extend our testing to 18 December and slots opened this afternoon for students to book. We are in the process of communicating this to students and are contacting Erin directly.”
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