PCR costs

soc_net

I am about to return to my home in Scotland from Switzerland. The required full 'Gold standard'  PCR test here costs approx £38. Swtzerland has some of the most expensive medical costs on the planet ,I lived there for 20 years, yet the two PCR tests which have to be taken after entry into the  UK / Scotland cost , wait for it £170 from a company called CTM which is the only available option if you live in Scotland. So my question is this. If a profit can be turned on a £38 test in one of the most expensive countries in the world how much profit is made from the £170 in the UK. Rip off UK seems to be alive and very muck kicking.

ThisnotThat

Not sure why you felt the need to duplicate your thread in the travel subforum but as I said over there...

Seems like a bit of an unfair comparison.

Plenty of places in Switzerland have expensive COVID tests, so £38 seems like the absolute cheapest test you'll get.  The CTM tests you refer to also provide 2 tests, so the cost per test is actually "only" £85.

I very easily found a UK company selling a PCR test service for £44.99.

sheramber

  UK tests go for Genome sequencing  which is why they are more expensive.
Travellers  to Scotland from Amber   countries MUST use  book through CTM.

sammyjammy

So blame Nicola!

Barny1979

Stay in Switzerland then?

JJC1956

soc_net said:

I am about to return to my home in Scotland from Switzerland. The required full 'Gold standard'  PCR test here costs approx £38. Swtzerland has some of the most expensive medical costs on the planet ,I lived there for 20 years, yet the two PCR tests which have to be taken after entry into the  UK / Scotland cost , wait for it £170 from a company called CTM which is the only available option if you live in Scotland. So my question is this. If a profit can be turned on a £38 test in one of the most expensive countries in the world how much profit is made from the £170 in the UK. Rip off UK seems to be alive and very muck kicking.

TIP: I flew into London from Zurich recently and the officials at the airport asked for proof of negative PCR Test, proof of 2 tests booked in the UK plus a passenger locator form, I suggest printed forms as people were turned away because the WiFi at the airport was so poor and they couldn’t download their info onto their phones.
As for PCR tests in Scotland, as the tests are sent by post surely you can buy some from south of the border, you don’t need courier pick-up.

soc_net

Yes your right, as I travel so much I always carry hard copies of any documentation needed,it's saved the day on a few trips. At the moment it appears that if you need to enter Scotland and need the test you have to use a company called CTM who were charging last week £210 for the post travel tests , they have now reduced this to £170 which I find a liitle odd but this would be in line with a now defunct list promoted on the main UK Gov website last week that listed this type of testing from £170; UK Gov now advocate a' shop around attitude',  unforntunately not available to those wishing to travel north of the border. However I have mentioned all  this to my MP who has  asked for a response from the Scottish Government , so we will have to see what comes out of this.

sheramber

The 2 And 8 day  tests are ordered by post to go to your destination address.
For Scotland you must use CTM  so can only order them from them.
You cannot  " buy some from south of the border,"

onashoestring

To get around this you could  arrive at an airport in England & then continue your journey by car , train - doubt it will save you much money & will take longer . 

sheramber

You have to provide your quarantine address for the tests to be sent ot.
There are no Scottish regions on the list  https://www.find-travel-test-provider.service.gov.uk/test-type/amber