Testing
As part of the government’s Living with COVID-19 strategy, free rapid and PCR testing for the general public ended on 1 April 2022.
Testing are available for purchase from most pharmacies.
Symptomatic PCR Testing
Free PCR tests will continue to be available for the following groups:
- Patients in hospital, where a PCR test is required for their care or to provide access to treatments and to support ongoing surveillance for new variants
- People who are eligible for community COVID-19 treatments because they are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
- People living or working in some high-risk settings. For example, staff in adult social care services such as homecare organisations and care homes, and residents in care homes and extra care and supported living services, NHS workers and those working and living in hospices, and prisons and places of detention.
- People who are being discharged from hospital into care homes and hospices.
Asymptomatic Lateral Flow Testing
Free asymptomatic testing will continue in some high-risk settings where infection can spread rapidly while prevalence is high. This includes:
- Patient-facing staff in the NHS and NHS-commissioned Independent Healthcare Providers.
- Staff in hospices and adult social care services, such as homecare organisations and care homes.
- A small number of care home visitors who provide personal care.
- Staff in some prisons and places of detention and in high risk domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings.
- Residential SEND, care home staff and residents during an outbreak and for care home residents upon admission.
Post-Travel Testing
You do not need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel, take any COVID-19 tests or quarantine when you arrive in England.
This applies whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated
Other countries may have rules about what you need to do to leave the country to travel to England. You should check travel advice for the country you are travelling from.
More information available on the .gov.uk website.