Yorkshire pharmacists' dismay over lateral flow test charges

Many have reported struggling to gain free lateral flow kits following the announcement about the ending of universal free testing

Pharmacists in Yorkshire have expressed their disappointment at the introduction of charges for Covid testing for most members of the public.

From Friday, the majority will have to pay for a lateral flow test in England.

One pharmacist in Sheffield said the remaining free lateral flow tests in the city were all but completely gone.

The government says ending universal free testing is possible because vaccines and antiviral drugs are protecting people from severe Covid.

It is part of the government's "living with Covid" plan, although levels of the virus are high, with an estimated one in 16 people infected in the UK.

Changes to PCR testing and availability of lateral flow tests come into force on Friday

Who will still have free testing?

• Patients in hospital, where a PCR test is required for their care

• People who are eligible for community Covid drug treatments because they are at higher risk of getting seriously ill if they become infected

• Care home residents

• People working in some high-risk settings, including care homes and prisons

Source: Department of Health and Social Care

Wicker Pharmacy in Sheffield said it would be charging £2.50 per test from Friday, but the price would vary between pharmacies.

Ellie Bennett, pharmacy manager, said: "People are used to having the NHS, so when you're going to be paying for something which was free there's a bit of a shock, they're not impressed.

"I'm really disappointed, I think it's important we continue to protect vulnerable people by making sure we are healthy when we go and visit them."

Following the announcement of the ending of free testing, many have found it much harder to get hold of a box of lateral flow tests - with Wicker Pharmacy running out in the last seven days.

Temi Fabiyi, a Hull pharmacist, says his pharmacy hasn't managed to get any lateral flow tests for two weeks

"I think there's only one pharmacy in Sheffield I know of which still has them, at the moment it's very difficult to access them," she added.

Orchard 2000 Pharmacy in Hull was previously having 50 boxes of tests delivered a day, but the surge in demand means they have not been able to access any for a fortnight.

Pharmacist Temi Fabiyi said: "I get where the government is coming from in terms of cost and the fact that at some point we have to learn to live with this virus, but because it's a new virus it's difficult to know how it's going to behave.

"If people cannot test, they cannot isolate and I'm afraid the infection rate might keep rising."

Thorrun Govind, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England, said the body had received reports of pharmacy staff having to deal with abuse due to the lack of available tests.

"We need people to remain patient with us, we are not responsible for whether lateral flow tests are free or not, we are doing the best we can," she said.

"Over the course of the pandemic we've been open, accessible and available on the high street for everybody and we're doing the best we can to keep our local communities supported."

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