Public Health Scotland have developed a campaign aiming to assess respiratory infections which are in circulation within the general public.  

Public Health are working with NHS boards and GP practices to:

• recruit sentinel GP practices in every health board
• supply respiratory testing kits to sentinel GP practices

They ask GP practices to:

• swab patients who meet the CARI case definition
• return the swabs to the lab where they are tested for 10 respiratory pathogens
• collect data from patients using a digital surveillance form

They analyse the results to:

• produce a weekly report on respiratory infection in the community
• circulate the report to sentinel GP practices, and to public health professionals and policy makers

Your GP may ask you if you wish to take part in the campaign if:

• you have acute respiratory infection symptoms that require a consultation and a swab with your GP

Please see Public Health Scotland website for further information