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# Burntwood councillor calls for action over lack of access to coronavirus tests
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/burntwood-councillor-calls-for-action-over-lack-of-access-to-coronavirus-tests/
- Published: 2020-09-15T06:33:40.000Z
- Updated: 2020-09-15T06:34:18.000Z
- Description: A Burntwood councillor has called for more action to ensure people can access coronavirus tests.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Burntwood, Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:14, News

A Burntwood councillor has called for more action to ensure people can access coronavirus tests.

Concerns have been raised nationally over the availability of slots for people to get checked for COVID-19.

Reports have also said NHS staff have been off work isolating due to the issue.

Cllr Sue Woodward, Labour representative for Burntwood North at Staffordshire County Council, said she had been contacted by residents who had been told to travel as far as Oldham for a test.

![Cllr Sue Woodward](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/suewoodward.jpg)

Cllr Sue Woodward

And she said the issue appeared to be getting worse with more locals getting in touch over the lack of access to testing sites.

> “Last week, I was told that part of the problem with accessing tests locally was that they were being prioritised for areas with spikes of infection and the lack of laboratory capacity to process them – but the problems are increasing rather than showing any signs of diminishing.  
>  
> “I’ve been hearing of examples where people have gone to walk-in testing centres only to be told that they must book online, people trying to book online but not being able to get through the system barriers, others being sent from one testing centre to another and waiting long hours in queues.  
>  
> “All of this is in complete contrast to what the Government are telling us. Their rhetoric simply doesn’t square with people’s experience.  
>  
> “To be fair to Staffordshire County Council, they are doing all they can to increase capacity across the county but this comes at an additional financial cost and means we are chasing the virus instead of getting ahead of it.”  
>  
> Cllr Sue Woodward, Staffordshire County Council

Although Birmingham has seen additional lockdown rules introduced due to a spike in infections, Staffordshire has so far avoided any additional measures.

But Cllr Woodward said testing needed to be in place to ensure people could feel safe going forward.

> “This is currently very far from a world-beating system we have constantly been promised and, as more tests are required as schools have now reopened and people are encouraged to go back to their workplaces, there will be more and more demand on a system that is currently not coping.  
>  
> “We need greater honesty and clarity from Government on this as on many other issues.  
>  
> “People are willing to continue to ‘do the right thing’ but are becoming more and more frustrated and disillusioned. So am I.”  
>  
> Cllr Sue Woodward, Staffordshire County Council