A COMPANY in Southampton has been helping keep the economy moving by offering Covid-19 tests for drivers.

Doctor Driver Assessment sells antigen and antibody tests for drivers including those in the haulage and taxi trades.

The company more than 20 years’ experience in providing driver medicals to the transport and logistics industry.

Dr Patience Annan, chief executive of Doctor Driver Assessment, based in Grosvenor Square, said: “Essential workers are still essential after the lockdown eases.

“And with more people returning to work and travelling domestically, drivers of all types will continue to keep Britain moving, putting them at risk through greater exposure to other people.

“Providing Covid-19 tests in bulk for companies to offer their teams allows drivers to know if they have either had the virus and recovered, or currently have it and need to self-isolate.

“We understand how important it is for companies to ensure their driver employees are confident in their return to work. In addition to the hygiene and work environment practices companies have implemented, these home kits offer another tool in the fight to put the brakes on this infection.”

The company’s Covid-19 Total Antibody Test Kit checks for previous infection and is best conducted 14 days after the infection, or once symptoms have cleared up. It notifies drivers whether they have previously been exposed to the infection by gauging whether they have developed an immune response.

The kit includes all items needed for testing and the recipient needs to make an appointment with a phlebotomist before posting the test to a lab for analysis. The results come through 24-72 hours later.

Its Covid-19 PCR Test Kit allows people to collect their own samples via nasal and throat swabs. The results are emailed in two to five days.

The swab tests can be conducted in privacy, at home or at the workplace, and the antibody test can be done at a phlebotomy service. Companies can also book bulk testing for staff with Doctor Driver Assessment’s phlebotomists.

Dr Annan said: “By the very nature of their job, drivers are always on the move, making it difficult to schedule time to attend shared testing centres.

“The ability to have an ‘at home’ test for Covid-19 gives them greater flexibility to be tested and more power over managing their health, whilst companies can arrange for the antibody tests to be conducted with our medical team at a convenient, central location or facilitated individually with local phlebotomists.

“We have a history of working closely with the driver community and transport industry, and are delighted to be able to offer these tests alongside our other medical services, promoting safety and efficiency for these essential workers.”

Both tests are conducted in partnership with laboratories accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. Each is registered with the Care Quality Commission and committed to not taking capacity from NHS testing.

Results are emailed to the individual tested, with Doctor Driver Assessment available to help with any queries.