Free Covid tests must continue for NHS staff, say leaders

Concerns are rising among NHS leaders that frontline staff could very soon be made to pay for their own Covid-19 tests so that they can continue working and caring for their patients.

Amid cases of coronavirus in England sharply rising and with the country facing a large increase in the cost of living, NHS Confederation has warned that if NHS staff are still expected to be tested twice a week, they could end up having to pay around £50 a month for tests.

On top of rising energy bills, petrol prices and other costs, NHS leaders fear the impact this will have on lower paid staff in particular.

NHS workers are still required to report their test results twice a week. However, following guidance earlier in the month, the NHS no longer asks members of the public to confirm they have a negative test before they visit patients in hospitals and other inpatient settings.

NHS staff can get their lateral flow tests for free online and from community pharmacies. However, this is currently set to change from 1 April as the government’s ‘Living with Covid-19’ plan will bring an end to free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.

The NHS was promised ‘specific detail on the various testing protocols for patients and staff’ in February but leaders say that they still do not have this.

The NHS Confederation is calling for clarity from the government on the testing requirements for NHS staff to be made available without delay and for access to free testing to continue, particularly for staff in patient-facing roles.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Health leaders are adamant that continuing to offer free testing to NHS staff is vital given that rates of coronavirus and hospital admissions are still very high and rising. We know that more NHS workers are again having to take time off due to Covid-19 with it accounting for 30 per cent of all absences and so, the government cannot put its fingers in ears and pretend that the threat has gone away.

“In the face of a cost-of-living crisis, many staff will simply not be able to afford to regularly buy their tests. Given the huge expectations placed on the NHS to recover its services while contending with significant vacancies, staff need to be supported to understand their Covid status, stay well and keep transmission within healthcare settings to a minimum.”