Shops in UK charging twice as much for tests as the Continent

PEOPLE in England are being asked to pay twice as much for Covid lateral flow tests as other European countries after the end of free testing.

Shops have the freedom to set their own prices for the tests and two of Britain’s largest healthcare retailers will charge more than twice the price set by French supermarkets.

Boots charges £2 for one test and £9.80 for a pack of five, while Superdrug charges £1.99 for a single lateral flow, or £9.79 for a pack of five. Boots cut the price of its tests to closely match those of its rival after previously announcing it would charge £2.99 per test. However, its price is still double that of lateral flows available in France, where supermarkets Intermarché and Netto charge €5.75 for a pack of five, equivalent to £4.87. Supermarket E.Leclerc sells single tests for €1.24 (£1.05).

Some supermarkets will also stock Covid tests, but prices are unable to match the cheapest available on the Continent. Morrisons sells single tests for £1.75.

Budget supermarket Lidl has said it has no plans to stock the tests, even though it sells them in stores abroad. In France, Lidl sells packs of five for €6.95 (£5.89). Waitrose has no plans to stock tests, a spokesman said.