It will never be the right time to charge for lateral flow tests during a pandemic

If the government made this decision, it would be lunacy – it would seem that those in power were working on the basis that the pandemic is over, when it’s nowhere near, writes Ian Hamilton

It would have an immediate effect on the number of people taking tests (PA Wire)

Recent polling shows that two in five people report difficulty obtaining a lateral flow test. So, with the Omicron variant still wreaking havoc in the population – with a surge in infections meaning that not only is the NHS short-staffed, but all employers report significant staffing problems due to infection and isolation – this is not the time to be thinking about charging for them. At all.

Yet there are rumours that this is exactly what is being considered – the Sunday Times reported that Boris Johnson could announce within weeks that free tests are being limited to high-risk settings (such as care homes, hospitals and schools) and to people with symptoms; though this was firmly denied by Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi.

This is what I believe would happen if they did: it would have an immediate effect on the number of people taking tests in the first place. After all, having spent almost two years encouraging us to take up tests for Covid, the threat of charging us for the privilege is guaranteed to put many people off.