[oliwarner]

Testing is a furiously oversubscribed service. Capacity last week was 800 tests/day, and half that the week before. Nationally. You can't test everybody.

If you're sent home and told to self-isolate, you're essentially being told you're likely to have it. Go home and don't give it to anybody else.

UK hospitals have 160k beds, already 90% full of sick people. They can't admit people who present with a cough, risking existing patients and staff for somebody who doesn't need support.

The hospital did the right thing here.

The patient would have been admitted if and when they got to the point where they needed support. I'm not sure what you think they would have gained by being admitted before that point. But hey-ho. Instead she flew halfway across the world, exposing who-knows how many more people on her travels. Great!