COVID-19) pandemic, the government has prioritised protecting the most vulnerable and those in high-risk settings. Government-funded testing will continue to focus on these groups, with new guidance coming into effect in England from 1 April 2023.The ongoing success of the vaccination programme, increased access to treatments and high immunity amongst the population, has allowed the government to scale back testing in England.
From April onwards, testing will be provided to individuals and settings at highest risk from COVID-19, whilst continuing to support diagnosis for care and access to treatments.All testing will use lateral flow device (LFD) tests, which have proven to be effective at detecting COVID-19 and provide a rapid result.
In NHS settings, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests may also be used to support clinical diagnosis.Testing of residents, service users and patients will continue to help manage outbreaks in high-risk settings.