The Government has failed to outline plans to offer free tests to NHS workers.
NHS staff in England could face a bill of up to £50 for lateral flow testing from 1 April 2022.
Concerns are growing among NHS leaders that in a matter of days their frontline staff could be made to pay for their own Covid-19 tests so that they can continue working and caring for their patients.
Government plans to “live with Covid” come into force later this month, meaning free lateral flow tests will no longer be available free-of-charge for most.
It was confirmed in February that care home residents and staff, hospital patients, and other vulnerable groups will still be entitled to free symptomatic testing. However, astonishingly, health care staff were missing from this list.
The most recent guidance from NHS England still requires to test and report their test results twice a week but fails to outline how this will be funded.
Lateral flow tests could cost staff as much as £6 each from some retailers, meaning an additional cost for NHS workers of around £50 per week on top of rising energy bills, petrol prices and other costs.
Free testing is vital.
The NHS Confederation is now 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% 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.”
Should NHS staff be offered free lateral flow testing? Let us know in the comments.
