CONVID testing

Mrs_Mac_1

Does anyone know if there is an actual scientific basis why you cannot use the free NHS lateral flow tests for travel and why you have to use ones you pay for (this is a serious question)?

Thanks

Money_Grabber13579

Mrs_Mac_1 said:

Does anyone know if there is an actual scientific basis why you cannot use the free NHS lateral flow tests for travel and why you have to use ones you pay for (this is a serious question)?

Thanks

With tongue very firmly in cheek and being very cynical etc, Owen Patterson was a consultant to Randox (which is one of the providers of tests) and allegedly a serial lobbyist of the government. By having to pay for the tests for travel, his contacts do rather well out of it.

More seriously though, I’m not aware of any scientific reason why they can’t be used given that they seem to be acceptable for confirming a covid result, without requiring a second pcr test. But I suspect the actual policy behind it is that the taxpayer shouldn’t have to pay for tests which are being used to facilitate optional leisure activities. The free tests are designed to protect public health and prevent the spread (that worked well) and so landing the taxpayer with a huge bill so that people can jet off all around the world wouldn’t seem reasonable.

duggan1

More seriously though, I’m not aware of any scientific reason why they can’t be used given that they seem to be acceptable for confirming a covid result, without requiring a second pcr test. But I suspect the actual policy behind it is that the taxpayer shouldn’t have to pay for tests which are being used to facilitate optional leisure activities. The free tests are designed to protect public health and prevent the spread (that worked well) and so landing the taxpayer with a huge bill so that people can jet off all around the world wouldn’t seem reasonable.

This is the exact reason.

COVID-19 testing for the purposes of international travel is not available on the NHS. Testing for this reason is only available through private providers who must have self-declared that they meet the UK government’s minimum standards for the type of commercial COVID-19 testing service they offer. 

guiriman

On one hand I think this is perfectly fair (as a taxpayer), on the other it priced us out of going abroad on holiday last year

motorguy

Mrs_Mac_1 said:

Does anyone know if there is an actual scientific basis why you cannot use the free NHS lateral flow tests for travel and why you have to use ones you pay for (this is a serious question)?

Thanks

As per above comments, the NHS isnt there to help fund holiday travel tests and nor should they be providing valuable resources to support it, hence why it falls to third parties to provide them.

The tests you must use for travel require you to record the test (either pictorally or record yourself doing it) and to upload a picture of the results.  These are then physically checked by a qualified medical professional and they warrant that you have done the test and send you a confirmed signed certificate as evidence.

With the gov lateral flow tests there is no requirement or evidence to support the actual outcome (bearing in mind you can log on to the government site and just tell it it was a negative result).

So, what you're paying for is the software and capability to upload and process the test, and the time of an actual person to warrant the outcome of it - the actual test is the same test.

jnm21

And how many of the NHS tests have been used by those who may have caught Covid on "optional leisure activities" in this country?  Very difficult to argue points here - Covid is a disaster for everyone & many have specks/logs in their eyes.

I personally have been as cautious as possible, shopping for 4 & begging my wife & folks to stay as safe as possible, have not had a haircut since late 2019, turned down free cinema tickets in early 2020 (before 99% of people took Covid seriously) & despite having a medical phobia of needles, I am triple jabbed.

My one vice in all this time was a trip to England, the result of which was we used about 10 NHS tests (including 2 that failed).  Now we paid through the nose to take our own car via Liverpool with a daytime cabin (no flights as they frighten us Covid risk wise, no time on the boat outside the cabin without a mask, etc.).

Now this was optional - to let my wife see her folks - she did not get to see them in nearly 2 years, including before a lengthy stay in hospital, still does not know if she will see them again, etc.

So perhaps I should feel guilty, but I know I have done my bit over the last 2 years & those tests we used were for the good of public health, including her folks, my folks & anyone we crossed paths with.  Heck I even did a shop at 8am in Liverpool Asda on the way home, so that I could take the stuff to my folks after 3 days quarantine & my day 2 test.

The NIDirect page we followed even linked to the NHS order page.

Keep safe everyone.

motorguy

jnm21 said:

And how many of the NHS tests have been used by those who may have caught Covid on "optional leisure activities" in this country?  Very difficult to argue points here - Covid is a disaster for everyone & many have specks/logs in their eyes.

I personally have been as cautious as possible, shopping for 4 & begging my wife & folks to stay as safe as possible, have not had a haircut since late 2019, turned down free cinema tickets in early 2020 (before 99% of people took Covid seriously) & despite having a medical phobia of needles, I am triple jabbed.

My one vice in all this time was a trip to England, the result of which was we used about 10 NHS tests (including 2 that failed).  Now we paid through the nose to take our own car via Liverpool with a daytime cabin (no flights as they frighten us Covid risk wise, no time on the boat outside the cabin without a mask, etc.).

Now this was optional - to let my wife see her folks - she did not get to see them in nearly 2 years, including before a lengthy stay in hospital, still does not know if she will see them again, etc.

So perhaps I should feel guilty, but I know I have done my bit over the last 2 years & those tests we used were for the good of public health, including her folks, my folks & anyone we crossed paths with.  Heck I even did a shop at 8am in Liverpool Asda on the way home, so that I could take the stuff to my folks after 3 days quarantine & my day 2 test.

The NIDirect page we followed even linked to the NHS order page.

Keep safe everyone.

Agreed.

However as i said the NHS LFTs dont have any capability for a certified test result.  They just rely on you to say if it was positive or negative.  With the paid for LFTs and PCRs you're really paying for the app capability and the certification and signoff of the outcome of the test, all of which would otherwise take NHS money and resources to do.