Travelling for work at Christmas

[joanwinifred]

Hi everyone,
I'm travelling to the U.K. on the 23rd from Germany. As of today, those arriving from Germany to the U.K. must self-isolate for 14 days, or if they're travelling after the 15th, they are able to take a private test to get out of the 14 day isolation.
I am travelling back to Germany on the 31st, so will need to take the test 5 days after arrival. I'm just wondering why it is that the test must be private, and you cannot use an NHS test to prove you are negative to get out of the 14 day isolation? Is it just because they want to make extra money?
Thanks in advance if anyone sees this!

You say in the title you are "travelling for work"...I'm guessing by the you've checked you are not working in a job that puts you in the "exempt" from self-isolation/testing category, hence the question?

Anyhow I suspect/my guess is the main reason Test and Release will use private testing is to protect NHS testing capacity but of course that does provide a revenue stream for somebody..

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel

if you are travelling straight back to the airport and then leaving the uk on 31st you can do that under the current rules and dont ened to test to release. I know this because my ds had to travel to the uk (where we live)for work (from the Netherlands where he now lives)and was only here for 3 days and we had to check what the rules were in this case....

obviously though if you want to go out and about elsewhere then that isnt allowed under the quarantine rules and you would need a test

I'm just wondering why it is that the test must be private, and you cannot use an NHS test to prove you are negative to get out of the 14 day isolation? Is it just because they want to make extra money?

You are wondering why you can’t use NHS resources to avoid travel quarantine when the travel is for commercial reasons?

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk

it's in this guidance above:

General exceptions
Exceptions from remaining at your place of self-isolation include where:

you are travelling directly in order to leave England

OP the NHS testing is generally for people who are unwell (with a few exceptions), it is not for people who are asymptomatic. Travel is a choice, eg not all travel vaccinations are free under the NHS either. Won't your employer fund it? When you say about money, it will go to a private company, not the NHS. The NHS cannot fund something like this, I am surprised you are questioning it to be honest!

Unfortunately here in uk, testing is only for those that have symptoms, as we have a free national health service, we cannot afford to test everybody that wants a test. We have had trial areas where cases are high that anybody living in that area can get a test, even with no symptoms. If you get a private test, the money goes to whoever provided it, not the NHS.

Yes, I understand about only being tested if you have had symptoms.
However, say I have had symptoms, and have a test with the NHS and it comes back negative, surely then it should end the quarantine and you should be able to use the NHS test as a way to get out of the quarantine to travel back to the airport and then back to Germany.
However the government website says this wouldn't be allowed and I would need to get another private test, despite already having had a test.
The British system is definitely the worst one I've come across.

Plus there’s no guarantee you would get your result back in time. You may feel that the NHS is bad, but I am quite proud of it, particularly this year.

@Mindymomo

Plus there’s no guarantee you would get your result back in time. You may feel that the NHS is bad, but I am quite proud of it, particularly this year.

It's not the NHS' fault, it's the governments fault. The NHS as it stands is not fit for purpose. I used to be very proud of the healthcare system in the U.K., until I moved away and realised how criminally underfunded it was. I still pay tax in the U.K., as I wouldn't feel comfortable using the NHS if I didn't, but the system in the U.K. is the poorest in Europe for sure.
Work will pay for my test, it's not the issue. I just don't understand why, for people travelling for different reasons (emergencies), they won't allow them to use the NHS tests as proof.

@joanwinifred

Yes, I understand about only being tested if you have had symptoms. However, say I have had symptoms, and have a test with the NHS and it comes back negative, surely then it should end the quarantine and you should be able to use the NHS test as a way to get out of the quarantine to travel back to the airport and then back to Germany. However the government website says this wouldn't be allowed and I would need to get another private test, despite already having had a test. The British system is definitely the worst one I've come across.

Because clearly people would then claim to have symptoms, falsely, to get out of paying for a private test?

I don't really understand why you think British taxpayers should pay for a test for you so that you can travel. You often have to pay privately for medical requirements for travel (e.g. vaccinations), it's not a weird or surprising concept.

I'm still not clear if you are arriving in the UK to work - in which case there's still the issue of possibly being quarantine exempt..also if the journey to the UK is for work and a test is needed will your employer pay for the test?

If OTOH you are visiting the UK for leisure reasons and want to partake in Test and Release then I'm afraid you really are stuck with paying for a private test...and FWIW resident Brits needing a test to go on flights/holidays to destinations that demand one pre-departing the UK have to pay privately.

How does it work in Germany?

Oh! Exactly the same!!!

@CuriousaboutSamphire

How does it work in Germany?

Oh! Exactly the same!!!

No it's a different system here.

And to be clear, I don't expect for taxpayers to pay for my test.
I'm thinking if people have already had an NHS test, why they would need to then be tested again privately.
I'd be happy to pay for a private test, but I don't understand them wanting people to be tested twice.

@notimagain

I'm still not clear if you are arriving in the UK to work - in which case there's still the issue of possibly being quarantine exempt..also if the journey to the UK is for work and a test is needed will your employer pay for the test?

If OTOH you are visiting the UK for leisure reasons and want to partake in Test and Release then I'm afraid you really are stuck with paying for a private test...and FWIW resident Brits needing a test to go on flights/holidays to destinations that demand one pre-departing the UK have to pay privately.

I'm travelling for work purposes, and my employer pays for a test. But whilst I was researching, it became obvious that even if someone had an NHS test and it had come back negative, they'd still need to pay privately to have the same test done, which makes no sense to me. Surely the NHS test should be valid.

I'm travelling for work purposes, and my employer pays for a test.

OK, I don't know why a NHS test done perhaps because you genuinely thought you had symptoms wouldn't be valid for what you describe...other than as somebody else has said it's to dissuade people from using the NHS for non essential purposes.

OTOH I certainly know of UK resident individuals who for some time now have had to be tested frequently, sometimes several times a month, prior to flying off to certain countries as part of their employment.

They can't use the NHS, so like you they have to have their tests done privately, and the company pays...so at least the rules are consistent.

@joanwinifred

Yes, I understand about only being tested if you have had symptoms. However, say I have had symptoms, and have a test with the NHS and it comes back negative, surely then it should end the quarantine and you should be able to use the NHS test as a way to get out of the quarantine to travel back to the airport and then back to Germany. However the government website says this wouldn't be allowed and I would need to get another private test, despite already having had a test. The British system is definitely the worst one I've come across.

but as I pointed out above you don't actually need any test result to be able to do that anyway not really sure what you're getting at OP.....

@junglepie I'm simply not understanding why an NHS test isn't valid. If you've already been tested by the NHS, they still require you to be tested again by a private company. The NHS test should be as valid as a private test. This is what doesn't make sense in the U.K., and this is why the system is so flawed. Having experienced the system so far in a few different countries now, I find the U.K. system to be the worst. Again, I'm not affected by it, but I'm still trying to understand it. It seems no one actually understands it due to responses here.

@joanwinifred

The important thing to keep in mind is that in the UK system, protecting health and using resources sensibly are often less important than being seen to prevent non-existent 'abuse' of the system.

Tbh our testing system is shit compared to Germany's, just be glad you only have to deal with it once.

Yes it is illogical, yes it is wasteful, yes it actively prevents public health protection. Welcome (back) to the UK!!

@joanwinifred

It seems no one actually understands it due to responses here.

Err....I think many of us actually do understand the motives behind the protocol.

I think BefuddledPerson is spot on with the comment that "using resources sensibly are often less important than being seen to prevent non-existent 'abuse' of the system."

The UK MSM would have a field day if they could write headlines such as "foreigners using NHS testing before flying home" or "Fat Cats using NHS testing for free before jetting off on skiing holidays".

Secondly, and in my own defence, I stand by the comment in my first response that private testing provides a revenue stream for somebody..that wasn't said TIC or in jest, it's entirely consistent with how HMG has farmed out much of it's Covid response to the private sector.

If you look at the system from the current UK political POV it all really is easy to understand.

You're working in the UK over Christmas? Or are you just visiting family?

I'm glad to hear the system is as it is. If you have symptoms and test negative with an NHS test, there is a (small) chance that the test was a false negative. So a second test will give another data point and confirm the result or, in the case of a false negative, show that it was incorrect. Two false negatives are extremely unlikely, so this seems like a smart idea.

No it's a different system here. That's a tad disingenuous! UK is in a designated high risk area so there are restrictions, paperwork, quarantine and testing, paid for by the individual, as of this month!

So much the same as here... and most other countries!

You say we don't undertsand! We do... you just see a freebie and want it! Possibly because you erroneously think Germany pays for all tests for all travellers! But you can't have it. NHS tests are only for people with symptoms and no manner of whimpering about that being unfair will change that fact - for the many reasons explained above. Illogical, unfair etc as that may seem! It comes about because we do have a 2-tier system,.

Think about it from our point of view rather than your own... we do what is best for our citizens, just as every other country, including Germany does. And if that means all travellers pay for their own tests then that's what it means! That UK citizens can get a free test if they show symptoms is nothing to do with you, just as how citizens are tested in Germany is nothing to do with us, should we travel there!

Tests are only valid at a point in time. The travel requirement is a private test taken 5 days after arrival. It would have to be a big coincidence to get an nhs test because you were symptomatic on exactly the 5th day. A test taken on days 1-4 would not be valid as even if you returned a negative test you could still be in the incubation period and return a positive test on day 5.

And just so you are aware, the UK carries out more tests than Germany, both in absolute and per capita terms. But yeah, the UK is the worst...