The cost of PCR tests for travel provided by the UK’s
National Health Service is being reduced by up to a fifth.
The price of NHS Test and Trace tests for international
arrivals is being reduced with immediate effect from £88 to £68 for green or fully vaccinated
amber arrivals, and from £170 to £136 for two tests for amber arrivals who are
not fully vaccinated, the government has announced.
Health secretary Sajid Javid also announced a rapid
internal review of the pricing and service standards of all providers of day 2
and 8 tests to be completed within ten days.
Javid has asked the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority
to consider:
- Whether individual PCR providers may be breaching their
obligations under consumer law and should be subject to enforcement action
- Whether there are structural problems in the market for PCR
tests, affecting price or reliability
- Whether there are any immediate actions that the Government
could take in the meantime
As has been the case since the introduction of testing in
the UK, all tests used for travel must be paid for.
Javid said: “With immediate effect we’re slashing the price
of day two and eight tests from NHS Test and Trace by a fifth – this will
benefit people right across the UK. And I look forward to reviewing initial
advice from the Competition and Markets Authority over the coming days.
“I’ve also ordered my department to urgently review the list
of private providers on gov.uk to ensure pricing is clearer and transparent.
Any provider found to be misleading the public will be kicked off.
“Too many providers are acting like cowboys and that needs
to stop.”
Responding to the announcement, Clive Wratten, CEO of the
Business Travel Association, said: “The health secretary’s decision to cut the
price of Government PCR tests is a token small step forward.
“These tests remain prohibitively expensive in comparison to
other countries and the private sector is unregulated. UK travellers are
currently facing unacceptable demands in order to travel safely, despite our
effective vaccine programme.
“This Wild West of testing must be brought under control to
give business and leisure travellers confidence.”