{"id":283163,"date":"2021-08-12T15:33:46","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/ministers-could-cull-covid-test-providers-which-sell-20-swabs-for-five-times-their-listed-price\/"},"modified":"2021-08-12T15:33:46","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:33:46","slug":"ministers-could-cull-covid-test-providers-which-sell-20-swabs-for-five-times-their-listed-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/ministers-could-cull-covid-test-providers-which-sell-20-swabs-for-five-times-their-listed-price\/","title":{"rendered":"Ministers could &#8216;cull&#8217; Covid test providers which sell \u00a320 swabs for FIVE TIMES their listed price"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Ministers could &#8216;cull&#8217; Covid test providers which promise travellers &#8216;fair&#8217; \u00a320 swabs but end up being FIVE TIMES more expensive<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"class\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Travellers returning to UK from green or amber countries must take a PCR swab\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"class\"><b>Test kits are being advertised for\u00a0\u00a320 but can actually cost as much as \u00a399<\/b><\/li>\n<li class=\"class\"><strong>Most of the cut-price offers are either out of stock or only offered in centres\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By Joe Davies For Mailonline<\/a> and David Churchill For The Daily Mail<\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"><span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-published\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Published:<\/span>  06:11 EDT, 11 August 2021  <\/span> | <span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Updated:<\/span>  04:11 EDT, 12 August 2021  <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v7\/us\/news\/none\/article\/other\/para_top.html --> <\/p>\n<p><!-- MOL-22124--><br \/>\n<!--[if !IE]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<br \/>\n<!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<!--[if gte IE 8]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE 8]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE 9]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>  (function (src, d, tag){<br \/>\n    var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];<br \/>\n    s.src = src;<br \/>\n    prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);<br \/>\n    }(&#8220;https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/async_bundle&#8211;.js&#8221;, document, &#8220;script&#8221;));<\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>    DM.loadCSS(&#8220;https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/gunther-2159\/video_bundle&#8211;.css&#8221;);<\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211; <\/p>\n<p><!-- MOL-22124--><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Ministers could ban companies which mislead customers by promising cheap Covid PCR tests, it was claimed today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Holidaymakers buying travel tests from the cheapest firms on No10&#8217;s official website face paying up to five times the amount advertised. Research shows the real cost of single-test kits advertised for just \u00a320 on the list can be as much as \u00a399.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Health Secretary Sajid Javid<\/a> has already asked financial watchdogs to investigate if travellers are being ripped off or misled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Whitehall sources they expect health chiefs to begin &#8216;culling&#8217; firms that quote &#8216;wildly different prices to the ones they are offering on the government website&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A source told The Times<\/a>: &#8216;The Competition and Markets Authority will be looking at that and that&#8217;s expected to be part of their findings and recommendations.&#8217;\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Government is facing increasing pressure to end the &#8216;Wild West&#8217; of test costs for travellers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">MailOnline yesterday revealed\u00a0the most expensive PCR test listed on the catalogue of approved providers costs \u00a3400.\u00a0On average, British travellers have to fork out \u00a392 per test.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But customers are paying far more than what is &#8216;fair&#8217;, according to Professor Stephen Bustin, a world-renowned expert on PCR tests at Anglia Ruskin University. He said a price in the region of \u00a320 would be reasonable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Most of the cut-price offers are either out of stock or only offered in actual centres \u2014 meaning many customers would have to travel hundreds of miles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Tourists travelling to green list countries and fully vaccinated holidaymakers going to amber list destinations are required to book one PCR test in Britain for when they re-enter the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Non-vaccinated travellers need two after returning from amber list countries and red list destinations require two regardless of inoculation status.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Ministers insist travellers take PCR tests \u2014 which can take three days to give results \u2014 because they are more accurate than cheaper lateral flows, which offer answers in as little as 20 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-5889b70fae688b1c\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46547773-9883111-image-a-8_1628673778910.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Ministers could ban companies offering PCR tests for travel at five times their advertised price of \u00a320. Pictured:\u00a0Ed Cockroft receives a test in Cabot Circus car park, Bristol\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-5889b70fae688b1c\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46547773-9883111-image-a-8_1628673778910.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Ministers could ban companies offering PCR tests for travel at five times their advertised price of \u00a320. Pictured:\u00a0Ed Cockroft receives a test in Cabot Circus car park, Bristol\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Ministers could ban companies offering PCR tests for travel at five times their advertised price of \u00a320. Pictured:\u00a0Ed Cockroft receives a test in Cabot Circus car park, Bristol<\/p>\n<p>  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-982ad987da58495f\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46547775-9883111-image-m-14_1628673860332.jpg\" height=\"427\" width=\"306\" alt=\"Health Secretary Sajid Javid has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate whether travellers are being ripped off or misled\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-982ad987da58495f\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46547775-9883111-image-m-14_1628673860332.jpg\" height=\"427\" width=\"306\" alt=\"Health Secretary Sajid Javid has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate whether travellers are being ripped off or misled\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-84463c32ef4a0d08\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46514439-9883111-image-a-15_1628673864335.jpg\" height=\"427\" width=\"306\" alt=\"A price in the region of \u00a320 would be reasonable for the swabs according to Professor Stephen Bustin, a world-renowned expert on PCR at Anglia Ruskin University\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-84463c32ef4a0d08\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46514439-9883111-image-a-15_1628673864335.jpg\" height=\"427\" width=\"306\" alt=\"A price in the region of \u00a320 would be reasonable for the swabs according to Professor Stephen Bustin, a world-renowned expert on PCR at Anglia Ruskin University\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>  <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Health Secretary Sajid Javid (left) has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate whether travellers are being ripped off or misled. A price in the region of \u00a320 would be reasonable for the swabs according to Professor Stephen Bustin (right), a world-renowned expert on PCR at Anglia Ruskin University<\/p>\n<ul class=\"rotator-panels link-bogr1 linkro-ccox\">\n<li>   <span>Mass return of civil servants to Whitehall offices faces&#8230;<\/span> <\/a>   <span>Britons want Rishi Sunak: As Boris Johnson struggles, new&#8230;<\/span> <\/a>   <span>Covid tests&#8217; 2,000% profit margin: Government-approved&#8230;<\/span> <\/a>   <span>Britain&#8217;s daily Covid cases rise by 8% in a week to 23,510&#8230;<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"mol-factbox-title\">WHAT COMPANIES ARE ADVERTISING \u00a320 TESTS?\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Test For Now<\/span> claims to offer a self-swab Covid test for \u00a321 on the Government website but the cheapest available on its website is for travelers to take on their second day back in the UK and costs \u00a389 for a self-swab version, while it costs \u00a397 for the same test at its clinic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meanwhile, <span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Everything Genetic<\/span>&#8216;s \u00a320 offer is only available to NHS staff, with others charged \u00a360.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Pillhub-Feltham Pharmacy<\/span> and <span class=\"mol-style-bold\">0-100 Travel 19<\/span>&#8216;s \u00a320 tests are currently sold-out and their other PCR tests cost \u00a380.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">ArrivingUK<\/span> advertising &#8216;self swab at home&#8217; day two kits for \u00a320 on the Government portal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But on the firm&#8217;s website this was only available to people who could collect them from Wembley in north London. The real cost was \u00a389 plus \u00a310 postage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Abicare Health<\/span> was listed at the same low price but its website says this is only available if you can travel to Manchester \u2014 and not until November. The real cost for a posted kit is \u00a375.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Of the 12 cheapest firms listed yesterday which offered \u00a320 single-test &#8216;self swab at home&#8217; kits, none were willing to post them out at that price.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The research, by the Daily Mail, found testing firm ArrivingUK advertising &#8216;self swab at home&#8217; day two kits for \u00a320 on the Government portal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But on the firm&#8217;s website this was only available to people who could collect them from Wembley in north London. The real cost was \u00a389 plus \u00a310 postage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Abicare Health was listed at the same low price but its website says this is only available if you can travel to Manchester \u2014 and not until November. The real cost for a posted kit is \u00a375.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Everything Genetic Ltd also offered single-test packages for \u00a320 but its website says this price is only available for NHS workers. Otherwise it&#8217;s \u00a360.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: &#8216;The Government list is not really fit for purpose. Many of the cheapest advertised don&#8217;t exist or the advertised prices are impossible or unrealistic to obtain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Many also fail to provide tests and results on time. It&#8217;s unacceptable and ridiculous.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Avi Lasarow, boss of testing firm Project Screen by Prenetics, said a &#8216;small minority of rogue traders&#8217; were bamboozling travellers. He added: &#8216;Ministers must really act to end this Wild West of prices.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The \u00a3399 PCR test listed on the UK Government&#8217;s approved list of providers is offered by the Mayfair GP, a small private practice based in London.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Department of Health says the tests \u2014 which can be performed in a matter of minutes \u2014 are carried out by people in their own home. But they are supervised by medical staff, meaning the firm may factor in some travel and labour costs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Mayfair GP uses Oncologica&#8217;s laboratory to carry out the testing, suggesting the provider likely has to pay to get samples analysed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Labs use a machine and array of chemicals to decipher whether a sample contains Covid.<\/p>\n<p>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-2ec2de22df5f37da\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46505381-9883111-British_holidaymakers_could_be_paying_20_times_more_than_the_fai-a-17_1628673944432.jpg\" height=\"415\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Research by the Mail shows the real cost of single-test kits advertised for just \u00a320 on the list can be as much as \u00a399. Graphic shows: The step-by-step process of a PCR test\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-2ec2de22df5f37da\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/11\/10\/46505381-9883111-British_holidaymakers_could_be_paying_20_times_more_than_the_fai-a-17_1628673944432.jpg\" height=\"415\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Research by the Mail shows the real cost of single-test kits advertised for just \u00a320 on the list can be as much as \u00a399. Graphic shows: The step-by-step process of a PCR test\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Research by the Mail shows the real cost of single-test kits advertised for just \u00a320 on the list can be as much as \u00a399. Graphic shows: The step-by-step process of a PCR test<\/p>\n<p>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-8a3eedb25ec1930a\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/12\/09\/46499783-9883111-Research_by_airline_consultancy_Skytrax_shows_airport_PCR_tests_-a-3_1628755861797.jpg\" height=\"937\" width=\"633\" alt=\"Research by airline consultancy Skytrax shows airport PCR tests were available for as little as $8 (\u00a35.70) in Mumbai, India, in April. The cost in Britain was nearly \u00a3100\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-8a3eedb25ec1930a\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/08\/12\/09\/46499783-9883111-Research_by_airline_consultancy_Skytrax_shows_airport_PCR_tests_-a-3_1628755861797.jpg\" height=\"937\" width=\"633\" alt=\"Research by airline consultancy Skytrax shows airport PCR tests were available for as little as $8 (\u00a35.70) in Mumbai, India, in April. The cost in Britain was nearly \u00a3100\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Research by airline consultancy Skytrax shows airport PCR tests were available for as little as $8 (\u00a35.70) in Mumbai, India, in April. The cost in Britain was nearly \u00a3100<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The average price among all the 425 Government-approved provider for a single swab is just over \u00a390 \u2014 a cost which pricing many families out of going abroad this summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Virginia Messina, of the World Travel  Tourism Council, called on ministers to subsidise PCR tests if they keep insisting on them, or let travellers take cheaper rapid tests.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Everything Genetic agreed &#8216;many companies are manipulating their price&#8217; but denied it was one of them, saying it had &#8216;provided quality services to the NHS, private sector and public for nearly five years now&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A Government spokesman said: &#8216;The Health and Social Care Secretary has requested advice from the CMA to stamp out any exploitative behaviour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We are also working with the travel industry and private testing providers to further reduce testing costs.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>            <!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v7\/us\/news\/none\/article\/other\/inread_player.html --><\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Comments <span class=\"readerCommentsCount\">84<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\n\t    Share what you think\n          <\/p>\n<ul id=\"rc-tabs\" class=\"js-links dm-tabs cnr5 cleared\">\n<li class=\"dm-tab dm-tab-on bdrgr5 cnr-bdr wogr5 link-wox js-active\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Newest<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<li class=\"dm-tab bdrgr5 ow-igr2-bx cnr-bdr xogr2 link-gr5ox\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Oldest<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<li class=\"dm-tab bdrgr5 ow-igr2-bx cnr-bdr xogr2 link-gr5ox\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Best rated<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<li class=\"dm-tab bdrgr5 ow-igr2-bx cnr-bdr xogr2 link-gr5ox last\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Worst rated<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The comments below have not been moderated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bold pad5 wogr5 rc-info\">\n      The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.\n    <\/p>\n<p>  <\/a><\/p>\n<p>      <a id=\"newcomment\" name=\"newcomment\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>              <span>Close<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"modal-title\">Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?<\/p>\n<p class=\"modal-subtitle\">Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>            <span>Close<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"modal-title\">Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?<\/p>\n<p class=\"modal-subtitle\">Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual<\/p>\n<p>  We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ministers could &#8216;cull&#8217; Covid test providers which promise travellers &#8216;fair&#8217; \u00a320 swabs but end up being FIVE TIMES more expensive Travellers returning to UK from green or amber countries must take a PCR swab\u00a0 Test kits are being advertised for\u00a0\u00a320 but can actually cost as much as \u00a399 Most of the cut-price offers are either <a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/ministers-could-cull-covid-test-providers-which-sell-20-swabs-for-five-times-their-listed-price\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-283163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283163\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}