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FAQ
The Answers You Need
WHAT IS A PCR TEST?
PCR Stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction. It is an amplification technique commonly used in genetic research and has been around since 1990s.
A portion of DNA is picked up and "photocopied" multiple times increasing the chances of detecting the portion of interest, in this case, a portion of the SARS-Cov2 Virus.
WHAT IS A RAPID ANTIGEN TEST?
Rapid Antigen Test detects the presence/absence of the virus.
It is a "Lateral Flow" type test which is performed in the clinic by our medical professionals. A nasopharyngeal (nose and throat) swab is used to obtain the sample.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PCR AND RAPID ANTIGEN TEST?
Both PCR and Rapid Antigen tests detect the presence of COVID-19 virus.
However, due to its amplification capacity, a PCR test can detect the virus in earlier stages of infection compared to Rapid Antigen Test.
It is assumed that if the Rapid Antigen Test is positive, the person is highly infective.
I PAID A DEPOSIT, WHAT HAPPENS IF I CANCEL?
You'll never lose your deposit with us. If you don't need your test anymore, you get your deposit as a voucher to be used as in-store credit.
You can use your voucher for any available service in our Glasgow Clinic or towards a future test in our Edinburgh locations.
I BOUGHT A HOME TEST KIT, WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE?
Unfortunately, our home test kits are non-refundable as we are unable to ascertain their integrity once purchased.
If you need flexibility on your testing, we recommend using our in-clinic tests.
DO I NEED TO SWAB MYSELF?
An experienced and trained healthcare professional will swab you for all our in-clinic testing appointments.
If you choose the Home-Testing Kit, you will need to self-swab or arrange a healthcare professional separately to get swabbed.
WHAT IS AN "INCONCLUSIVE/UNCLEAR" RESULT?
An unclear result is when the system detects some viral activity but this is not enough to consider a positive result.
An inconclusive result is a Valid Result and may indicate very early stages of infections or inadequately swabbed positive infection. If you had COVID-19 infection in the past, this may also cause you to have an inconclusive result.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I TEST POSITIVE?
If you test positive, you and your household must immediately start self-isolating. You MUST NOT travel.
Our labs will report the results to local authorities and you may be contacted by Track and Trace.
IS YOUR CLINIC UKAS ACCREDITED?
Our clinic is currently in the process of UKAS accreditation however our Laboratory Partners are all UKAS accredited and PHE approved providers. Your certificates are directly issued by them and valid for travel.
IS YOUR CLINIC REGULATED?
Yes. Est-Ethics Ltd is registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (the equivalent of CQC in England).
All our locations are registered healthcare clinics.
WHERE ARE YOUR LABS LOCATED?
We use laboratory partners all around the country to ensure the quick turnaround times that we are well known for.
We work with laboratories in London, Glasgow, Durham, Ireland and Edinburgh.
ARE YOUR TIMINGS GUARANTEED?
Only under rare circumstances, we may go over the indicated time requirements for your results. These include re-testing such as to confirm a positive result or a technical problem at the laboratory. These are not under our control by any means.
If your results are not delivered on time and we are directly responsible for the delay, we will refund you according to the delay (ie, if your results are not delivered the same day, we will refund the difference between a same day and next day service). However, we are unable to issue any compensation for any other costs associated with your booking.
CAN I CHANGE MY APPOINTMENT TIME?
Of course! You can amend your appointment as many times as you like. Just drop us an email at least 24h in advance to covid19@est-ethics.com
CAN I ATTEND WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT?
Our services are strictly appointment only due to COVID-19 infection control restrictions.
DO YOU OFFER POSTAL TESTS?
No. As these results are time critical, we would like to ensure full control over our deliveries to the partner laboratories. We do not use postal or courier services.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET AN INCONCLUSIVE/UNCLEAR RESULTS?
If you get an inconclusive result, you must start to self-isolate until you get a negative test result or you complete a self-isolation period.
You are recommended to repeat your test (same fee's apply).