Under the current system, people in Britain can get an unlimited number of free lateral flow tests, with the public being urged to get tested twice a week.
In June, the National Audit Office said that 691 million lateral flow tests had been distributed to the public - the results of almost 600 million of which had not been registered, meaning it was not known if they had been used.Ĭritics of the policy, pointing to new daily cases still being above 36,000, argue that mass testing has not led to a reduction in infections. NHS Test and Trace had a two-year budget of £37 million according to public accounts published in March. The key Government strategy for countering the virus has so far cost many billions of pounds. It is unclear where Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands on the issue, but he is expected to have the final say on whether to change free testing or not, according to the report.ĭowning Street, according to The Telegraph, is playing down the possibility of mass free testing ending over winter, amid on-going Covid-19 uncertainty. The issue is set to be discussed in spending review negotiations taking place between the Treasury and the Health and Social Care Department, with talks set to intensify in the coming weeks ahead of the budget on October 27. Number 10 and the Health and Social Care department meanwhile are more cautious. The newspaper report says that of the four government departments involved in key Covid-19 decision making, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office both back changing the system soon. Pictured left: Prime Minister Boris Johnson and right, Chancellor Rishi Sunak - both at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week Number 10 Downing Street and the Treasury are reportedly divided over whether to end the free covid tests scheme.
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