Some people have now been told they could be waiting five days to find out if they have coronavirus

People in Greater Manchester claim they have been left waiting several days for PCR test results - leaving them in limbo for Christmas.

According to the government website, most people should receive their swab results within two days, although they have warned this could take longer.

But many people in the North West say they have been waiting up to four or five days with no result, and others have claimed it took nearly a week to receive a text or email notification.

READ MORE:Good Morning Britain cancelled for Christmas over covid fears

The delays appear to have hit both the home testing kits and walk-in centres across the region.

Some people have reported turning up to test centres in parts of Greater Manchester today to be told they could face a wait of around five days for results.

One man, who works at a hospital in Manchester, said he has now been waiting five days and still hasn't received his PCR result.

"I had symptoms and I work in a hospital on a clinical ward so policy at the moment is to do a PCR test if symptomatic," he told the Manchester Evening News .

"I’m unable to return to work until I get a negative result back and as you can imagine with the delay it is putting pressure on hospital staffing having to wait for a positive or negative result for so long.

"I’ve been trying 119 most of the morning but due to so many calls you can’t get through to them. And it doesn’t help that you can’t contact 119 until 48 hours after your swab to ask for an update or information."

Kate Bell claims she was told by a walk-in centre in Trafford that she could be waiting five days for a result - by which time her isolation period will have finished.

"I am currently on day four of waiting for my result, did a drive through test on Thursday evening and still nothing back, test done at Manchester Etihad stadium," she said.

"Called 119 Sunday night as it had gone past the 72 hours. They have logged it as delayed and told me a message had been sent to the lab and I would be contacted by someone in the next 3 days if my results are ready.

"Didn’t fancy waiting that long so went to get another PCR done this morning thinking it would be a 24hr-72hr wait as usual and in case maybe my first one is lost.

"At the end of the test the test centre tell me it’s a five day wait on results at this time, this was in Trafford. By that point I will be out of my isolation anyways as my symptoms started last Monday 13th."

Rhys Jones-Ager, from Preston, said he sent his PCR test off last Wednesday (15 December) and only received his negative result back late last night (Sunday).

This meant he had wasted four days isolating when he didn't need to.

"I had come down with a very mild cold and my mother was due surgery (which she’s gone for today) so wanted 100% assurance that everything was being done as safely as possible so that it wasn’t cancelled," he said.

"Alas poor timing meant that everything was hanging in the balance until I got that result."

Berihan Donald said she went for a PCR test at a walk-in centre in Fallowfield on Saturday afternoon and is yet to receive her result.

She said she had come down with a mild cold, but had tested negative on a lateral flow test.

Berihan says her Christmas plans are now up in the air until she receives her test result back.

"I’ve taken a few (PCR tests) over the past nearly two years and the longest it’s ever taken for a result is 26 hours," she said.

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"I’m now approaching 43 hours and still no result.

"Guidance says when you have symptoms get a PCR and we are travelling to Scotland on Thursday night for Christmas."

Another man said he sent his original PCR off in the post last Monday, and had only received a positive result today.

Due to the delay he decided to do a drive through test on Wednesday evening, and said he got his result back the following day.

Another woman said: "Husband waited two days for test results - had to phone to chase.

"Never received text confirmation - works for the NHS too. These delays are causing unnecessary absences from work at a critical time."

Royal Mail say they are not experiencing delays to the collection of NHS kits from priority postboxes in Manchester, with more than 99 per cent delivered on time to the lab.

A UK Health Security Agency spokesperson said: "Due to record levels of demand over the past week we are seeing a temporary increase in turnaround times for PCR test results.

"Fast action has been taken to expand processing capability and add extra capacity to our laboratory network to meet this exceptional demand.

"Our lab technicians and scientists are working as fast as possible to ensure the public receives their results quickly and we apologise to anyone that is having to wait a little longer for their test result."