Free Rapid Home Testing

All employers in England will now be able to offer free rapid Covid-19 tests for staff to take at home. These home kits will be offered to firms with more than 10 employees from 6 April, where on-site testing is not possible. To register, businesses will need to sign up on the government website by 12 April. The tests will be free until 30 June. This will be a great relief for businesses who did not have dedicated space or staff to carry out rapid workplace testing, and is something we have been lobbying for with key groups. The deadline of 12 April is an extension of the original date for rapid workplace testing of 31 March.

We know workplace arranged testing is an important element in workplace risk assessments with testing helping to detect asymptomatic cases quickly, preventing workplace outbreaks and breaking the chain of infection.

Businesses should register via the government website before 12 April to access the free tests even if your workplace is not yet open or able to start using the tests straight away.

Here in the Quarter, many of our pharmacies are also offering a range of different testing options and we’ve rounded them up below, along with an explanation of the different type of tests:

Sherlock Holmes Pharmacy, 82a Baker Street
PCR Testing (£150), Lateral Flow testing (£70)

Integrated Medical Centre, 121 Crawford Street
PCR Testing (£100), Travel PCR (with certificate to allow someone to travel) (£150), Lateral Flow testing (£70)

John Bell & Croydon, 50-54 Wigmore Street
Lateral Flow/Antigen Testing (£49, 15 minutes), PCR Testing (£139, next day)

Biogroup, 58 Blandford Street
PCR Testing (£135)

Zen Pharmacy, 30 Baker Street
PCR Testing at home (£120), PCR Testing in clinic (£150), Rapid Antigen Testing (£99, one hour), Antibody Testing (£99), Test to Release (£150)

Fortius Clinic, 17 Fitzhardinge Street
PCR Testing