Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of rising numbers of covid-19 infections in the UK, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on the NHS of NHS staff of ending free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic covid-19 testing from April 2022.

Symptomatic testing in healthcare settings, where infection can spread rapidly once it incurs, remains important to ensure that infection is detected as quickly as possible, reducing the possibility and impact of outbreaks.

Symptomatic testing will therefore continue to be provided free to:

• NHS staff and staff in NHS-funded Independent Healthcare Provision
• Staff and residents in Adult Social Care services and Hospices

During periods of high prevalence, asymptomatic testing will continue to mitigate risk. Testing will continue to be provided for:

• Patient-facing staff in the NHS and NHS-funded Independent Healthcare Provision
• Staff in Adult Social Care Services and Hospices and visitors who provide close contact personal care.

The government will continue to keep the country’s response to COVID-19 under review to ensure our response remains effective and proportionate. We will continue to monitor prevalence and other factors that will determine when testing is needed.