In a letter to children’s minister Vicky Ford, Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, highlighted concerns over many providers struggling to obtain tests for staff despite nurseries and childminders being promised priority access.
She also questioned why early years settings, unlike schools and colleges, had not been given a supply of 10 tests per setting.
Last week, providers said they faced closure due to staff shortages as workers who were unable to get a test had been forced to self-isolate.
Siddiq wrote that “many early years workers are struggling to get tested and get the results quickly”.
“This is leading to significant staff shortages in the childcare sector and threatening the closure of some settings, which many parents are relying on in order to be able to return to work,” she said.
“I would be grateful if you could explain why your government has allowed this to happen and outline the steps you are taking to ensure that early years staff can get tests quickly and the providers and families who are affected by current delays are properly supported. I would also welcome an explanation for why early years settings have not been provided with an initial supply of Covid-19 home testing kits or a mechanism for ordering further tests as other educational settings have.”
The shadow early years minister also called for clarity on guidance surrounding children with suspected coronavirus symptoms.
She said: “Another issue that has been drawn to my attention is that early years providers are advising parents to keep their children at home if they display coronavirus symptoms – in line with the government’s guidance – only to be contradicted by the medical advice of their GP or NHS helpline staff, which I am told is that their symptoms are not severe enough to warrant self-isolation or a test. Not only is this confusion causing anxiety and problems for the parents of children in this position, but it has implications for other children in their bubble and staff who have had close contact with them.”
Meanwhile, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to improve testing capacity for nurseries as well as schools and colleges.
He said in a letter to Hancock: “The lack of testing availability is causing real operational challenges for our schools and teachers whilst keeping too many children away from the classroom. As testing capacity is rapidly scaled up it is vital that some of this capacity is held/ringfenced specifically for nurseries, schools, colleges, and young people aged 18 and under. This will enable children and young people who test negative to quickly return to education and minimise disruptions for their classmates and families.”
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
