Outrage at ‘PCR test chaos’ facing holiday families
HOLIDAYMAKERS face a chaotic “wild west” of unpredictable prices and reliability for Covid-19 testing, travel experts warned yesterday.
Overflowing boxes of dropped-off test kits are a “symbol of the absolute mess PCR testing has become”, one declared.
After pictures of overstuffed drop-off boxes for testing firm Randox emerged, Labour MP Ben Bradshaw branded the compulsory tests pointless, adding that they are “becoming a bad joke”.
Even an actual testing firm, the Corona Test Centre, admitted the Government must investigate whether firms are fit for purpose.
Just 47 of the 400 Governmentapproved providers are offering tests for less than £50, according to analysis by the Liberal Democrats.
The most expensive test was for £575 and more than 100 firms were charging over £200.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate if firms are profiteering.
The founder of Red Savannah luxury holiday firm, George Morgan-Grenville, said not only was it an appalling environmental waste, ministers also failed to put safeguards in place over how PCR testing companies were accredited.
He said: “The result is a wholly ‘wild west’ situation, with ridiculous variation in both prices and service. Some companies have even taken travellers’ money and then failed to even send the tests. Others have sent the tests, but failed to send the results on time.”
Paul Charles, of the PC Agency travel consultancy, said: “Consumers are already put off from booking holidays due to the high prices of some tests, and the hassle of arranging them.
“These images are yet more proof that the system isn’t working. They’re a symbol of the absolute mess PCR testing has become.”
Travellers returning to the UK must pay for a PCR test by the second day of their arrival.
And those who are not fully vaccinated must take a second test on or before day eight if they have arrived from an amber list country, or are staying in a quarantine hotel.
Gavin Marshall, 51, of Sutton in south London, said he had to drop off a test kit on behalf of his daughter, who had completed a PCR test two days after returning from a holiday in Portugal.
He said: “I initially hesitated, [and thought] ‘is this ever going to get there?’
“But the next nearest one was about 45 minutes’ drive in the wrong direction and I wouldn’t have got there before the deadline.
“So I had absolutely no choice but just to sort of squeeze it in on top of the box and hope for the best.
“For many people who might be using that box for their outbound travel, where they’re relying on having a PCR result in order to fly, it doesn’t seem a very secure or guaranteed service that they’ve paid money for.” He added that the testing system is a “rip-off”.
After Mr Marshall tweeted test provider Randox to vent his frustration, the company simply declared: “If these locations do not suit your needs then the onus is on the customer to arrange an alternative company.”
A spokesman added: “These sample kits do not include any customer personal information whatsoever”. Northern Irelandbased Randox Health is the UK’s largest Covid-19 PCR testing provider with an annual turnover of £118million.
Last September the business became responsible for a quarter of all community tests across the UK after winning a £133million contract in March 2020.
Randox – which has set up 100 locations for sample drop-offs – offers tests for £43.
But Professor Stephen Bustin, an expert on quantitative PCR at Anglia Ruskin University, says £20 would be fair.
The Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for health, Munira Wilson MP, said: “We cannot let international travel become a luxury that
only the wealthy can afford. The Government has lost control of this situation. They must immediately cap PCR prices and remove the red tape that is keeping prices artificially high.”
Edward Heywood, director of Corona Test Centre, said: “Whilst we welcome the CMA’s investigation into the private Covid testing, with regard to pricing, we’d urge any investigation needs to go further.
“Principally we need one that will look into the suitability of some of the testing providers.
“As we’ve seen from the overflowing returns outside of larger provider clinics, clearly there are some in the market that are overwhelmed by demand. “Those that haven’t built the infrastructure and systems to offer tests on this scale.
“This overwhelm isn’t just a customer data and security risk, which is alarming enough.
“It’s the very real risk of someone potentially losing their holiday or having to stay at home to quarantine longer than necessary.”
A Randox Health spokesman said: “Randox is constantly expanding and improving its Covid-19 testing capacity and associated logistics network…Randox continues to increase the number of drop boxes across the United Kingdom, which already totals over 200, and is increasing the frequency of box collections which are already occurring multiple times per day.”
He added that the firm “is committed to continuously improving its logistics network, to ensure that all international travellers receive their results in time”.
A CMA spokeswoman said: “We look forward to providing the Secretary of State with advice on how best to ensure that travellers have access to tests that are affordable and reliable.”