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Symptom-free testing
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The LFT testing centre at Bidborough House has now relocated to UCL Student Centre.
Please note, the on-site testing facility at UCL Student Centre will offer fewer testing booths than Bidborough House, so we encourage all staff and students to order test-kits online where possible, or to collect from your nearest participating pharmacy. A Test Kit Collection service is now available from the Student Enquiries Centre and Workplace Health.
Around 1 in 3 people have COVID-19 without displaying any symptoms. Anyone in England who does not have symptoms can get regular rapid lateral flow tests (LFT). Students and staff on campus should get tested twice a week, every 3-4 days. By getting tested regularly, you can help to reduce the spread of infection.
Wherever you get tested, make sure you can travel home safely if you test positive - walk, cycle or drive where possible and avoid public transport.
On this page:
- How to get LFT tests locally or to do at home
- How to book an LFT test at UCL’s testing centre at UCL's testing facility
- What happens when you get your LFT test results
- Guidance for contracted staff and staff or students working onsite away from campus
- Frequently asked questions for students and staff
- If you need support
Find out more about the different types of coronavirus tests that are available and which one is the right one for you.
Regular rapid coronavirus tests if you do not have symptoms
How to get LFT tests locally or to do at home
Anyone in England who does not have symptoms can now get regular rapid lateral flow tests to check for coronavirus at a local test site or to do at home. Symptom-free staff and students can also continue to get tested at UCL's on-site testing facility.
Please see the NHS website to order tests to your home or for collection.
Once you receive your results, whether positive or negative, please report your results through the NHS and Connect to Protect, and follow the steps listed below under ‘What happens when you get your LFT results’.
UCL’s testing facility at the Student Centre
UCL is providing free COVID-19 tests for symptom-free students and staff as part of the national testing programme for universities.
If you have symptoms please do not book a test – follow this guide (for students) or this guide (for staff) to request a test and let UCL know through Connect to Protect.
Once you receive your results, whether positive or negative, please report them through Connect to Protect and follow the steps listed below under ‘What happens when you get your LFT results’.
Take a tour of UCL's on-site testing facility with Carol Paige, Democracy, Operations and Community Officer from Students’ Union UCL.
Book a test at UCL's on-site testing facility
- Booking form privacy statement
The personal data you provide is being collected for the purpose of booking and managing your Asymptomatic COVID-19 Test. The information you provide will be used:
– to record your booking and to send you text reminders of your appointment details
– to send you text message reminders
– to record your test result in UCL’s Connect to Protect tool. Through Connect to Protect, we can provide you with further advice and support if this is required.
– in relation to age and disability information, to manage your appointment and ensure the necessary support and adjustments are madeFor more information on the way UCL handles your personal data, as well as our legal basis for processing it and your rights as a data subject, please see the UCL privacy notice relevant to your status at UCL:
– Student Privacy Notice (in particular the section headed “Purposes for which we process your personal data and the legal bases for processing > To manage the student experience at UCL and/or Internal and statutory reporting and other legal obligations”).
– Staff Privacy Notice (in particular the section headed “Purposes for which we process your personal data and the legal bases for processing > To manage our relationship with you as a UCL staff member and/or Internal and statutory reporting, audit and other legal obligations”).Please note that once you arrive for your appointment you will be required to register through the NHS registration system, where you will be allocated with a test and an NHS barcode. UCL does not have access to this system and will not process your personal data as part of that procedure. Once your test has been administered, your result will be automatically uploaded onto the NHS system. For more information on how the Department of Health and Social Care processes your personal data as part of that process, please see their privacy notice.
The information you provide to book your test will only be shared with a restricted number of UCL staff members who require it as part of their role in managing the Asymptomatic testing service. The UCL staff who have access to your personal data will treat it in strict confidence. The personal data you provide will only be shared for the above purposes and will only be stored for as long as UCL requires it for these purposes, after which it will be deleted.
About getting tested at UCL's on-site testing facility
Our on-site testing facility uses rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFT), which typically provide results within two hours. Once you receive your results, whether positive or negative, please follow the steps below and report it through UCL's Connect to Protect reporting tool.
- Where to go for your rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFT)
UCL's on-site testing facilty is based at the UCL Student Centre, 27-28 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0AH.
You can find a map to the UCL Student Centre on our web site.
- What to expect at the testing centre
Please wear a face covering and remember to follow social distancing guidelines at the testing centre. You will also be asked to wash your hands with sanitiser when you get there.
You should arrive at the testing centre at your appointment time. Signage will direct you to where you need to go. You will be guided through the registration and testing process by members of the team.
- What to bring
- A form of student/staff ID
- Your phone, tablet or laptop to register when you arrive (which involves scanning a QR code). If you do not have one of these then a staff member at the site will be on hand to help you.
- Please do not register with an international phone number as this may be problematic when using the NHS Test and Trace service and delay your results. If you don't have a UK number then please register with your UCL email only, or alternatively you can request a free UK SIM card from the testing centre.
- A face covering or mask that covers your mouth and nose. Staff will tell you when you can take it off and put it back on again.
Please don't bring luggage or bulky items with you, as we do not have space to store it while you take your test.
- What the process will involve
- At registration, you will be asked to scan a QR code to register with the NHS Lateral Flow Testing programme.
- You will be directed to an available booth where you will be provided with a swab and a barcode.
- You will be asked to take a swab of your nose and throat. A trained member of staff will be on hand to help you.
- A staff member will collect your sample and barcode from you.
- You will then leave the testing centre through the exit onto Bidborough Street.
- Infographic: How the tests work
What happens when you get your LFT results
You will typically receive the results from the NHS within two hours via email and text, but this could take up to 48 hours. If you do not receive your results, or you need advice on your result, please call the NHS coronavirus testing contact centre on 119. Lines are open from 7am to 11pm. Please note that you are not able to call NHS 119 from an international number. Quote the barcode reference number from the registration card that you were given when you took the test and NHS Test and Trace should be able to locate their result using this code. You should go for your second test as planned.
Whether you have tested negative, positive or void it is important that you report your results through both the NHS Test & Trace site and UCL's Connect to Protect
- If the results of your test are negative:
Please continue to follow the national restrictions and UCL Keeping Safe on Campus guidelines, and carry on getting tested twice a week. Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not display any symptoms, so by getting tested regularly you can help reduce the rate of infection.
Please remember that Lateral Flow Tests don’t detect every positive case and your results only reflect your status at the time of taking the test.
- If the results of your test are positive and you are a student:
- You and your household must self-isolate immediately.
- You will have been asked by NHS Test and Trace to request a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) coronavirus test through the NHS to confirm your LFT result. This must be done within two days of your LFT test.
- In line with NHS guidance, if the PCR test confirms you are positive you and your household should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of your LFT positive (for on-site LFTs) or from the date of the positive PCR (for home-kit LFTs).
- It is essential that you continue to report all your results through Connect to Protect so UCL can provide you with support while you’re self-isolating. You will also need to complete contact tracing details on the NHS website or by telephone.
More information about self-isolating is available on the NHS website.
The science behind self-isolating if you have coronavirus
MediaCentral Widget Placeholderhttps://mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/Player/aDJFcG2I - If the results of your test are positive and you are a member of staff:
- You and your household must self-isolate immediately.
- You will have been asked by NHS Test and Trace to request a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) coronavirus test through the NHS to confirm your LFT result. This must be done within two days of your LFT test.
- In line with NHS guidance, if the PCR test confirms you are positive you and your household should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of your LFT positive (for on-site LFTs) or from the date of the positive PCR (for home-kit LFTs).
- You must immediately report your positive test results on Connect to Protect and notify your line manager so UCL can provide you with support while you’re self-isolating. You will also need to complete contact tracing details on the NHS website or by telephone.
- If you receive your test result while in the workplace please make arrangements to travel home avoiding other people and public transport if you can. If you need help with your travel arrangements please discuss this with your line manager. If you do use public transport, wear a face covering, stay 2 metres apart from other people and avoid touching any surfaces. Use hand gel frequently throughout the journey and where possible avoid busier stations. Avoid touching your face or adjusting your face mask. Read more about travelling safely.
- Connect to Protect will notify anyone who is identified as a close contact and they should self-isolate.
- In line with NHS guidance you and everyone in your household should self-isolate from the day you get the result and for the next 10 full days. If a PCR test taken within two days of a positive LFT result comes back negative you, your household and close contacts can stop self-isolation.
- You will be asked to complete contact tracing details on the NHS website or by telephone. It is also essential that you report your PCR test result through Connect to Protect so UCL can provide you with support while you’re self-isolating and follow up with any UCL contacts.
- If you have any questions please email the UCL Covid Helpline or call on 0203 108 5699. Lines are open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Please let us know when you have recovered if you develop symptoms and do stay in touch if you need any help.
More guidance and frequently asked questions
Guidance for contracted staff and staff or students working onsite away from campus or out of hours
- Guidance for UCL and contracted staff working on campus:
All UCL and all contracted staff within Estates and other services who are working on campus, and who do not have COVID-19 symptoms, are expected to get tested twice a week. Due to the rapid nature of these tests, please bear in mind where you will be when you receive your results, and how you plan to travel home. Ideally you should walk or cycle if possible. If you are a staff member it may be preferable to book a test at the end of your shift, so that you will receive your result when you are at home.
Contracted staff who can access the on-site testing facility should contact their line manager for more information.
Frequently asked questions
- If I receive a positive LFT result, do I need to get a confirmatory PCR test?
For information on how to interpret your test result, please see “what happens when you get your LFT results”.
- Can visitors to campus get tested for COVID-19 at UCL?
No, visitors cannot access UCL's testing service. Anyone in England who does not have symptoms can now get regular rapid lateral flow tests to check for coronavirus at a local test site or to do at home. Please see the NHS website for more information.
- If I tested positive within the past 90 days, do I need to take an LFT test?
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days through NHS Test and Trace and been recorded as a positive case on the national system, you do not need to be tested again within that time period if you are asymptomatic. You are still required to self-isolate if you are identified as a close contact of a positive case, even if this is within the 90 day window. You must also request a PCR test from the NHS if you develop new COVID-19 symptoms.
- How might Government ‘surge testing’ impact UCL?
Surge testing is the term used to describe an increase in symptom-free testing and contact tracing activity, as a result of the identification of a COVID-19 variant or mutation of concern. It does not necessarily mean a surge in overall COVID-19 cases. The implementation of surge testing is being led at the Local Authority level, and is linked to the post code where you are currently living. It is therefore important to follow your Local Authority guidelines about if, when and how to get tested. If you’ve recently spent time within one of the areas targeted for surge testing but do not live there, you should continue to follow the national restrictions and check with your local authority whether you should get a test. You can view the latest Government information on areas that are undergoing surge testing here.
- Should I continue with symptom-free testing after receiving the COVID vaccination?
Yes. Staff and students that are on campus should continue with routine symptom-free testing after they are vaccinated.
- Could the vaccine give me a positive lateral flow device or PCR test result?
No. The vaccine is not known to interfere with the lateral flow device (LFD) or PCR tests. Therefore if you receive a positive result, it is very likely that you have the COVID-19 infection.
- Where can I find out more about LFTs