to think covid lateral flow tests should still be free...

[jobhunter7]

to think lateral flow tests should still be free...

Well ideally yes, but it’s an absolutely huge cost when the country it on its knees financially.

In very many countries they were never free at all.

What's your reason?

Do not agree. At what point do you think we should stop testing for a virus that causes similar symptoms to the common cold or flu for the vast majority of vaccinated people?

In principle, yes.

But in reality you get the ridiculous situation of people testing every day "just in case" and the huge financial an environmental cost of that.

Why?

Yes why?

They are still free for some, but why does everyone need them?

Yes, please elaborate. Why should they be free?

They are for me.

Why?

It makes no difference what type of cold we have anymore, and if it's more serious than a cold it can be diagnosed by a doctor like everything else.

I think on a cost / benefit analysis there are much better things that could be done with the money. It’s quite possible that spending millions on lateral flow tests will not save a single life at this stage or stop anyone from getting seriously ill. Spending millions on some other part of the health service, many of which have been completely neglected during covid, is very likely to save or improve lives.

@Aniita

Maybe it should be made slightly harder to get them for free than was previously thus reducing the cost of giving them out...

[quote jobhunter7]@Aniita

Maybe it should be made slightly harder to get them for free than was previously thus reducing the cost of giving them out...[/quote]
But then you just increase the costs for the system to manage who gets covid tests.

The hysteria on MN in the run up to Christmas about the "irresponsible" people daring to leave their houses without a lf test showed how unsustainable the situation was tbh. As usual, the few means the rest of us can't be trusted with nice things!

No because people do not act rationally when they are free. For example I know of someone who took five tests in a day to check that it was positive. I bet they would not have done that had they been paying for each test.

No. This country is on it's knees due to people's irrational reaction to covid. It's time to stop the crazy.

They cap the prices of them in France and Spain.

I think they should be made free to those who can claim free prescriptions (makes it easier to work out who is entitled) and NHS workers who actually work in a clinical setting. Anyone else should pay. People were getting silly and doing like 2 a day.

I think it would be better if we just allowed people to stay home if they felt unwell.

Instead I know so many people in work and education who are back to expected to attend their place of work or education unless they are literally bed bound.

Rather than dishing out tests and giving people an ‘acceptable’ reason to stay home, we should change our mindset and accept that really if we are sick then it’s ok to stay and home and rest, regardless of which bug/ virus we have.

This obsession with have of soldiering on and being suspicious and despairing of those that need some time off does more damage than good.

@CorneliusVetch

Well ideally yes, but it’s an absolutely huge cost when the country it on its knees financially.

In very many countries they were never free at all.

I get this viewpoint, they aren't sustainable.
But by making them paid you've ensured a high percentage of people won't bother with them now.
I don't work in a setting that requires testing, or have any vulnerable people in my circle, no grandparents in care homes etc so I've no current reason to buy any.
We had very minor cold symptoms last week, I didn't test as I don't have any. I was semi-mindful about where I went etc but I didn't particularly alter my plans. That may have been different if I'd been able to pick some up. As it was, I just got on with my life and treated it much like any other virus.

I think families with school aged children need to be able to test to avoid spreading in schools,and the inevitable disruption to education that causes. Maybe a box a month free per household with children under 16 and then pay for anything additional? Or just free tests to schools who can dish out as they see fit?

Yes in certain cases. I agree free prescriptions should equal free tests. My mum in in a care home - dementia. I visit 4 X per week and am required to have an LFT before each visit so it is now costing me about £25 a month to visit my Mum.

They used to give them at my local library - perhaps they could have it that you had to swipe your library card and thus were only allowed one pack a month or something..

But by making them paid you've ensured a high percentage of people won't bother with them now.

Why is that a bad thing? Most people don't need to be testing regularly anymore.

@jobhunter7

They used to give them at my local library - perhaps they could have it that you had to swipe your library card and thus were only allowed one pack a month or something..

I don't know many people with library cards... or even a local library

In an ideal world maybe, but some people will misuse them, hoard them and as a nation we can't afford to when we look at cost benefit there's probably better ways to spend that money. They are still being sent out to those ecv (Dc1 keeps getting a box in the post). We can't go on for ever testing. It's an expense I could do without as I live on disability benefits but if me or my other dc have symptoms we need to test in order to keep Dc1 as safe as we can. So it's a cost worth paying. I would rather the money be spent in other parts of the NHS that critically need it.

no