Our campaign on free COVID-19 testing
We've been campaigning alongside other charities to keep COVID-19 testing free for people with MS and other conditions.
Working with Blood Cancer UK and Kidney Care UK, we've spoken out together. Thousands of people in the MS community wrote to their MPs to ask them to support the campaign. Almost 600 individual MPs were contacted and many of them responded to our calls.
While the UK Government is not doing everything we wanted, together we've achieved some really important protections for our communities.
What does this mean for people with MS?
People eligible for early COVID-19 treatment assessment will now have access to free testing so they can test themselves when they have possible COVID-19 symptoms. That includes everyone with MS. You can order a pack of 7 rapid tests every 3 days, to make sure you always have some at home to use. You can order tests for free from the Government website or by calling 119.
Further positive news is that health and care professionals will still be able to access free COVID-19 testing. And personal assistants who are employed directly by disabled people can access free lateral flow testing too. Unfortunately, this doesn’t extend to unpaid carers and key contacts of vulnerable people.
What next?
We're glad the Government has heeded some of our calls. We're continuing to call on the UK Government to make testing work for those who need it. If you're having issues accessing adequate testing, please let us know by emailing [email protected].
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