Proposals to end free Covid testing for all health and social care professionals have been described by the CSP as ‘reckless.’
The CSP has called for free testing to remain available to staff working in all health and social care settings, not just hospitals and care homes.
Chief executive Karen Middleton said: ‘Without a comprehensive testing system in place for asymptomatic people as well as those showing symptoms, we cannot reduce the spread of the virus, particularly as new variants emerge.
Removing this system and ending self-isolation is a reckless act at a time when we have barely emerged from the peak of this wave and cases remain so high.
Impact
‘The CSP is concerned that these changes will also have a greater detrimental impact on those in low wage or insecure employment,' she said.
‘There doesn’t appear to be any public health rationale behind the decision and it risks leaving the NHS and social care systems with ever greater staffing shortages – not to mention the higher risk faced by already-vulnerable patients going into health settings for treatment.’
Budgets
Ms Middleton said it seemed ‘highly counter-productive’ for the costs of any continuation of testing to come from health budgets ‘when pressures are so great.’
The government must rethink its approach and delay its policies ‘until we are on safer ground,’ she added.
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