Free Covid tests and self-isolation rules should continue, say NHS bosses

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A survey of NHS leaders revealed they think free Covid tests should continue for the public and self-isolation rules need to remain.

The NHS Confederation polled more than 300 senior staff in England, with 79 per cent saying they strongly disagreed or disagreed with the scrapping of free access to coronavirus tests.

On Monday Boris Johnson is set to announce his plan for living with Covid-19, with ministers hinting that free tests could be axed.

Testing for health staff and other key workers should also continue, according to 94 per cent of the 307 NHS leaders polled in the survey.

READ MORE: More than 400,000 people waiting for NHS treatment in Greater Manchester

Currently NHS staff are asked to test at home twice a week.

Asked on Thursday if free Covid tests would be scrapped next week, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said “the protections we’ve enjoyed over the last few months” should be “reviewed”.

The survey also found that more than three-quarters would disagree with any axing of the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive Covid result in favour of it being advisory only.

Furthermore, more than four in five (82 per cent) would be against ending compulsory mask-wearing in the NHS and care homes.

The NHS Confederation is urging a cautious approach, warning that planned care and access to the NHS could be disrupted if further Covid waves take hold or there are more variants.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Hospital admissions and deaths linked to coronavirus continue to fall nationally and this is allowing the NHS to bring back many routine services that it was asked to deprioritise during the peaks of the pandemic, including some non-urgent elective procedures.

“With