Cignpost Diagnostics has taken delivery of 250 fridges for its expanding network of ExpressTest centres. The company has rapidly grown its capacity focusing particularly on the tests required by travellers arriving and departing from the UK. These include centres at the largest airports including London Heathrow and London Gatwick, as well as Birmingham and Edinburgh and a number of major retail centres.

Stephen Johnson, CoolMed’s managing director, said he was delighted to be supplying Cignpost: “To make it possible for people to take holidays abroad this summer, visit families and travel on business, it’s essential to have quick and reliable testing services.

“We’re delighted that CoolMed’s refrigeration expertise is part of the drive to create testing capacity for what will be a growing number of passengers who need to take tests before and after their flights.” 

“We have seen significant demand for extra refrigeration capacity since the pandemic began for both vaccination and testing services. Pharmacies, the NHS and consumer testing centres all need additional capacity to manage the storage of vital medical supplies.”

CoolMed is providing the refrigeration to keep PCR tests and other medical supplies at low temperatures at Cignpost ExpressTest centres. It forms part of a service which gets results back to customers by 10pm the day after they are tested. 

Richard Acton, Chief Technical Officer of Cignpost Diagnostics said: “Cignpost has quickly created a network of ExpressTest centres meaning that 80% of the UK population are able to reach one of our test centres within an hour from home.”

“Under ISO accreditation it is particularly important for these facilities to be reliable and efficient. Medical refrigeration plays an important role in that. Ultimately, passengers need to be 100% confident of the tests if they are to return to international travel.”