False lateral flow test keeps Salisbury child out of school

Cullyn Thompson, 12, tested positive on Monday March 22 during twice-weekly testing at Rowdeford School, a school for children with special needs in Devizes.

A confirmatory PCR test has since come back negative but as the original lateral flow test was taken in school, that result can't be overruled.

His mum Julie Elliott, 48, said this resulted in her son, his year group, four teachers, a group of six to seven children he shared a taxi with on his way to school and the taxi driver all being required to self-isolate for 10 days.

Rowdeford School and the public health team at Wiltshire Council say they are following Government guidance.

The Department for Health and Social Care has defended the policy, claiming lateral flow tests "are accurate and sensitive enough to be used by individuals in the community".

'I don't understand'

Ms Elliott, who lives with her son in Bemerton Heath, Salisbury, said: "I'm frustrated, really annoyed, I don't know what to do."

After being informed that her son had tested positive at the start of the week, the single mum claims to have received a notification from the NHS asking her to confirm the test result by taking a different test.

"I ordered a PCR test which arrived on Tuesday and now the result has come back and it's negative.

"But because he was tested in school they can't accept that result, even though it's a false positive. I just don't understand."

"He came home and he was perfectly fine and I'm perfectly fine," she added.

Previous concerns

The controversial Government policy, not requesting all pupils to go for confirmatory PCRs regardless of where they are tested, had already come under fire when The Stonehenge School in Amesbury sent home more than 400 pupils after four cases were picked up by rapid testing.

While children in mainstream schools are now carrying out tests in their own homes, which means they can request a confirmatory PCR test, special needs schools are being advised to continue in-school testing.

Julie Elliott with her son Cullyn Thompson

This means situations like the one Cullyn and his mum find themselves in could happen again.

"It needs to be sorted out, it's not right," Ms Elliott said.

"Everytime there's a positive result children are off for 10 days, which means parents are off work for 10 days and how often is that going to happen?

"They're never going to go back properly. It's costing people's livelihoods, it's costing children's mental health."

Ms Elliot, a full-time carer for her son, said Cullyn is "confused" about the situation.

"He wants to be in school, he wants to see his friends."

'We're following the guidance'

Kate Blackburn, Director of Public Health for Wiltshire, has reiterated the council's duty to follow instructions from central Government.

She said: "It is government policy that if you take a LFD test at a site where it is supervised such as a school you are not required to take a PCR test.

"If you do take a PCR test the LFD test will still be the defining test result.

"The national guidance is that in settings such as a school for pupils with SEND it may be more appropriate to continue on-site testing and the school is following this guidance."

Mike Loveridge, Head of School at Rowde Campus, said: "We can fully understand these concerns and are doing all we can to keep students safe and at school, however we are following Government guidance and currently providing the LFD tests at school.

"We are grateful to all our parents and carers for their support."

Lateral flow tests 'accurate and sensitive enough'

The Department for Health and Social Care said lateral flow tests have been through "extensive" clinical evaluation and are "accurate and sensitive enough to be used by individuals in the community".

The Government department also says that research from NHS Test and Trace, which is published on its website, shows that for every 1,000 lateral flow tests carried out, there is less than one false positive.