Delays caused by a private Covid-19 test provider resulted in a nightmare for one woman and it's a scenario which could be repeated for many returning from amber-list countries.

The company failed to deliver Test to Release results on time for new KentOnline reporter Juliana Cruz Lima in time to start her new job, earlier this month. Here's how the saga begun with the wrong-coloured label.

Background: What countries are currently on the red list and what to do upon arrival to the UK?

I had an unavoidable family visit to Brazil. However, Brazil is currently on the red list, as well as countries like South Africa, Mexico, Maldives, and many others.

At the moment, only British or Irish nationals are allowed to enter the UK coming from a red country, or people with residency rights in the UK.

Also, even if fully vaccinated, people arriving from red countries must quarantine in a managed hotel for 10 days and take two Covid tests during their stay.

I did my quarantine in a Caribbean country - on the amber list- for 15 days and made my way back to the UK.

What to do upon arrival in the UK from an amber country if I am FULLY vaccinated?

People returning from an amber country, who are fully vaccinated, only need to take a day two test after their arrival in the UK and do not need to self-isolate.

What to do upon arrival in the UK from an amber country if I only had ONE jab?

In my case, as I was not fully vaccinated, my return from an amber country had several steps.

I took a Covid-19 test in the three days before I arrived in the UK, booked Covid-19 tests to be taken during my 10-day quarantine at home, and completed a passenger locator form up to 48 hours before I arrived in the UK.

What is the Test to Release scheme?

The Test to Release scheme is an additional private test to be taken on day five of your quarantine. It aims to end your quarantine early instead of self-isolating for 10 full days at home.

You can end the quarantine if the result is negative, and the result of your day two test result was negative or inconclusive.

When I began to plan my return to the UK, I remembered a friend of mine had done the Test to Release scheme when she came from an amber country.

It was the perfect way to end my quarantine early and be able to attend my first day at work on Monday, August 9.

I then searched online and immediately found the guidelines for the Test to Release scheme on the government website.

How to book a Test to Release

The first step to book a Test to Release is through the government website. There, I had to specify which test I wanted to purchase (as they offer other types of Covid tests as well) and whereabouts in the UK I live.

That would refine my search and come up with a tailored list of test providers. I chose Brunswick Hygiene, a private provider based in Brighton, in East Sussex. I was then redirected to the provider’s website.

Before making my purchase, I had to fill out a questionnaire with my travel details, including passport number, flight number and route.

The questionnaire would then generate a unique reference number to be entered in my Passenger Locator Form.

How much does a Test to Release cost?

All test providers are private and offer different prices.

Tests can be more expensive depending on how urgently you need it to be delivered or where you live.

In my case, I paid about £60 for the test and shipping costs, on top of the £150 I had already paid for my compulsory Covid tests for days two and eight.

Straight after my purchase I received an email from Brunswick Hygiene confirming my purchase, and the following day another email explaining how my results would be returned.

My timescale for tests and results

My day zero of quarantine was Monday (August 2), so I took my Test to Release on my day five (Saturday, August 7) and posted it about 9am.

As said in the email from Brunswick Hygiene: “The Royal Mail Priority service should deliver within 24 hours if you posted by the cut off time.”

In my case, cut off time was 11am, which means I posted correctly and on time.

The test provider also said: “Once received at the laboratory, results are usually ready within 24 hours, in exceptional circumstances it can be 36 hours. These timeframes are stated at our website.”

My test results get delayed

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

It was not until I checked the label in my package that I saw the lab was in Birmingham.

That information was not disclosed on the provider’s website, let alone on any email I received.

I felt my chances of getting my results back were drastically cut short.

Contacting my test provider and laboratory

My time was running out as my first day at work was only a few hours away.

I first contacted the lab, but they could not give me any updates on my results as they claimed I should resolve this with my test provider.

To make matters worse, after many automated reply to my emails, the test provider couldn’t be reached either as their phone customer service was not active any more.

I was left without results and not knowing whether I would be able to end my quarantine and get to work on time.

Change of plans

Sadly, I did not receive my results until after my quarantine had ended.

Not only could I not start my new job on time, but also did not hear a single word back from neither test provider nor the lab until one week later.

Moreover, I spent £60 for nothing. A Test to Release scheme that did not release me on time. Instead of starting my new job on Monday August 9, I began, in the office, the following week on August 16.

I was lucky enough that everyone at work was more than understanding, although this was definitely not the best way to start a new job.

My thoughts

I am really disappointed, to say the least. It is such a shame that travellers are having to rely on such an unpredictable service - from the moment of choosing a test provider until finding out if the results will be out on time.

Being locked up alone for 10 days already takes a huge toll on your mental health, and having to stress about delayed test results is the last thing you need.

Although my trip was particularly unusual, I am pretty sure that I was not the only one who got fooled by this "quarantine shortcut".

Using the Test to Release scheme was almost like playing Russian Roulette, you don't know what kind of service until pretty much everything is over.

Unfortunately, in my case, it was a bad and expensive one.

Brunswick Hygiene was approached for comment. They said: "The lab confirmed the delay was due to Royal Mail."

They processed a refund for the test and apologised for the inconvenience.

Royal Mail were also approached for comment, they said: "After investigating this issue it appears that the test kit was not labelled correctly. This meant there were delays in processing it through our network. Test kits should be sealed with a lilac CV19 test kit label so that when we collect them from the priority postbox, we can prioritise them through our network.

"Every day we service hundreds of thousands of test kits on behalf of the NHS both speedily and efficiently. Every item of mail is important to us. We are committed to delivering the highest levels of service for all our customers."

They added that it was the test provider's responsibility to properly label the test kit before it arrives to the customer.

The government announced it was cracking down on private test providers who were not upfront with their prices displayed on the gov.uk website.

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