THE Scottish Government has urged people living in England not to forge Scots postcodes to access coronavirus tests.
As problems with the Test and Trace system persist while cases increase, there have been several reports of people in England pretending to have a postcode in Scotland in order to book a coronavirus swab.
Those using the trick say using the Scottish postcode allows them to book a slot at a nearby testing centre without the need to actually travel to Scotland.
One GP told Sky News she was forced to “cheat” the system when her child suffered coronavirus symptoms and the UK Government website repeatedly told her no tests were available.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: People in England forced to use Scottish postcodes to access tests
Staff at a local testing centre helped the woman access a QR code by forging a Scottish postcode.
Meanwhile Ellie Bell from London told The Guardian she spent hours refreshing the UK Government site when her children developed coughs.
No tests were available nearby so she went to a testing centre, where staff told her to fabricate an Aberdeen postcode and access a QR code that way. She also told friends to do the same thing when they struggled to get tested.
In the Commons LibDem MP Munira Wilson also warned her constituents had forged Aberdeen postcodes to access coronavirus tests in England.
She asked Matt Hancock how a “world-beating” Test and Trace system could work like this.
The Scottish Government urged people not to falsify information when booking tests.
A spokesperson told The National: “We are aware of pressures and high demand the UK testing service is experiencing. No one should be using false information to gain access to a test and people in the other UK nations should not be using Scottish postcodes.
“We are working with health boards to assess a number of options to increase testing capacity to ensure people who need a test are able to get one and have their results delivered in a timely manner.”
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