English Pharmacy Board chair Thorrun Govind has pleaded with the public to be patient with pharmacy teams as they begin charging for lateral flow tests today.

The government’s decision to scrap free tests has caused concern within community pharmacy that pharmacists could face a backlash from patients frustrated at having to pay. The price of the tests will vary in different pharmacies.

“As pharmacists we appreciate that spending money on testing will be a challenge to the family budget for many, especially during the cost-of-living crisis,” said Ms Govind.

“However, people need to remain patient with pharmacy teams. We are not responsible for whether LFTs are free or not. I’ve been enormously impressed by the care and dedication being shown by so many pharmacy professionals, who have pulled out all the stops to look after people over the past two years.”

There are also concerns that Covid infection rates will continue to increase if people stop testing because of the charge.