Drive-through coronavirus testing at Thornhill Park and Ride

It is part of the Government’s efforts to increase the ability to test more NHS frontline staff and other key workers as it works to meet an ambitious target of 100,000 a day by the end of the month.

In the 24 hours prior to 9am on Tuesday just 18,206 tests had been carried out in the UK on 11, 626 people, despite there being capacity for approximately double that during the same period.

The Oxford site will be part of an expanding network of testing facilities being set up around the UK, and is operating on an appointment-only basis for NHS staff and other key workers, including social care staff.

Last week it was also expanded to include the police, fire service, frontline benefits workers and those working with vulnerable children and adults.

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There had been criticism care workers in Oxford were being advised by the Care Quality Commission to go to Twickenham as the nearest regional site for testing.

The new facility, one of up to 50 planned by the end of April, will be piloted during its first few days of operation, with the first tests due to carried out on Thursday.

Liam Walker, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet member for highway delivery and operations, said: “We are working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and other partners to enable the setting up of an isolated coronavirus testing area to test key frontline workers in one of the park and ride sites at Thornhill, in line with the governments national testing strategy.

"We are proud to be doing our part during this unprecedented time.”

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It follows the launch of the Government’s partnership with universities, research institutes and companies to begin rollout of a network of new labs and field testing sites across the UK, with 28 regional testing sites opened to date.

This network will provide thousands more PCR swab tests - which are used to identify if someone currently has the virus - for key workers, starting with NHS front line staff.

This means those who test negative for coronavirus can return to work as soon as possible, and those who test positive are able to recover.

Health Minister Lord Bethell said:“The Government is rapidly scaling up the national effort to boost testing capacity for coronavirus to protect the vulnerable, support our NHS, and ultimately save lives.

“This new service will help end the uncertainty of whether NHS and social care staff and other key workers need to stay at home, meaning those who test negative will be able to return to work."

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Professor John Newton, National Coordinator for the UK Coronavirus Testing Strategy, said the new testing sites like the one in Oxford were a 'key pillar' of a five-pillar plan to scale up testing, and are 'critical' in supporting NHS staff and other frontline workers who are isolating at home.

He added: “This is a brilliant example of industries and businesses turning their resources to creating and rolling out mass testing at scale, which will help to deliver on our aim of carrying out 100,000 tests a day across the UK by the end of the month.”

The testing centre is being operated in partnership with Serco and Boots, and will offer assisted tests, with people getting their results within a few days.

Kevin Craven, Serco chief executive for UK and Europe said: “We are pleased to be supporting the Government and the NHS in setting up and managing the new testing centre in Oxford as well as the testing centres we are already operating.

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“I would like to pay tribute to my colleagues who have worked extremely fast and professionally, and with the other organisations involved, to set up these centres having deployed from other roles within Serco.

"I know that they are proud to be doing their part in helping the country tackle coronavirus”

A Boots UK spokesperson said the company had been at the 'heart of UK healthcare for 171 years' and would always come forward to support the community in times of need, adding: "Our team in Oxford is no exception.

"Some of our colleagues have already stepped forward to volunteer to run this Covid-19 testing station, which will start testing its first critical workers on Thursday.”

The Government is also working on setting up a home-testing service for critical key workers, supported by Amazon's logistics network and other commercial partners.