Forum Topic

Lateral flow tests

Official site does not have any (yesterday) local chemists have run out, anybody know where they may be available ?

John Southey ● 1728d27 Comments

Just this second ordered on line

Gill Newton ● 1728d

John, I have sent you a pm.

Adrian Irving ● 1728d

You have to keep looking on the website as availability changes throughout the day.

Stewart Jones ● 1728d

Chiswick Boots has stocks.  I ordered it online and then went to collect a box yesterday afternoon.

Anthony Tan ● 1728d

If you go on to the website right now there is availability for home delivery

Stewart Jones ● 1727d

If you order on line and are successful you have to wait a full 24 hours until you can order again if required. The government advice is that daily tests are necessary if you have come into contact with anyone with Covid so a even the smallest of families can get through them very quickly.

Stewart Jones ● 1726d

“ even the smallest of families can get through them very quickly.”But can’t everyone in the family order a pack of 7 at a time?

Steve Taylor ● 1726d

No, you are limited to one pack of seven tests per address

Stewart Jones ● 1726d

Aah. Ok thanks. I wasn’t aware of that. Although I believe the system isn’t robust because my wife and I (unknowingly) ordered on the same day shortly before Xmas and we were not challenged when we went to collect with our respective codes from the same pharmacy.

Steve Taylor ● 1726d

Not so, there are three of us with NHS 'covid accounts' and, before the latest supply blip, we were all able to order packs on the same day to the same address.This was on Christmas Eve and the packs all arrived last Thursday.

N V Brooks ● 1726d

Well, Perhaps the system is not robust but we have been prevented firm ordering from the same address.  Perhaps that was before Wales gave England 4 million extra kits.

Stewart Jones ● 1726d

Just trialled a test pack request and it was accepted (didn't order another pack as those we have will last another ten days).

N V Brooks ● 1726d

I was able to order online again yesterday if anyone needs lateral flow tests delivered.

Nora Watkins ● 1725d

I put in an online order (just on the off-chance) about 8.45 this morning and it was accepted. I think it's luck-of-the-draw, time-of-the-day, etc. It somehow adds to the great air of unpredictability that affects every aspect of our lives these days.

Colin Jordan ● 1725d

I think they had a run on the online deliveries before Christmas.  I've been trying every day and yesterday was the first day that they had availability.

Nora Watkins ● 1725d

I was reading an Italian news article about the new variant.It said it mainly attacked the throat as opposed to the lungs which means a swab from the nose could be negative with same test from the back of the mouth being positive.It said it also explains why omicrom is more infectious but less severe.True or false, who knows but it makes sense to me.

Adrian Irving ● 1725d

The new LFT packs are nose only. They have done away with the tonsil test!!

Steve Taylor ● 1724d

Thank's Steve, I will look into this further.

Adrian Irving ● 1724d

I have just had a look at the leaflet that came with a test pack and it illustrates both nose and tonsils as alternatives so I am left wondering.Maybe this is old stock or there is some other explanation.I will keep digging.

Adrian Irving ● 1724d

There's a mobile testing unit at Sainsbury today till 4pm.

Susan Kelly ● 1724d

Not sure but the last two kits we collected from our pharmacy only had the Nostril test. My daughter says in Switzerland they have always only had nostril.

Steve Taylor ● 1724d

The one I took on Christmas morning was nostril only. I believe that you can swab the throat as well with these but the swab is quite short and it might not be easy.

Susan Kelly ● 1724d

well the system seems well messed up.Standing in an orderly Que this morning in a pharmacy, when I was advised by a customer not to stand to close as they have covid.I asked her what she was doing out, she only had one test and tested positive, but couldn't get hold of any other test kits, so is going around the local pharmacy's to see if they had any.I thought you had to book a PCR test to confirm the result, not keep speeding Covid around while you look for a Test kit. 

Bernard Allen ● 1724d

The lateral flow tests through NHS online have been nostril only for at least the last  6 months.  I’ve been testing regularly and the only time I’ve had to do nostril and throat was for a PCR test.

Nora Watkins ● 1724d

I do not think its the system messed up it is more likely that person who decided to pop down the shops with Covid is messed up

Paul Fisher ● 1724d

I agree, I’ve been using LFTs supplied by NHS and yes they’ve changed to nostril only in recent months. I think some people are still able to get tests that require throat and nostril swabs. However lots of people have received positive outcomes from the nostril swab tests without any symptoms so it does seem to work as a test.

Alexandra McDevitt ● 1724d

Bernard is correct you have to go for pcr test if you think you have Covid.

Janice Evans ● 1724d