NHS Lateral Flow Device Service (COVID-19)

Our lateral flow device service is now available at your local Whitworth Pharmacy.

Quick and easy to use, our NHS-funded LFD service provides eligible at-risk patients for COVID-19 treatments with the opportunity to access LFD tests for at-home COVID-19 testing if they exhibit symptoms of infection.

Our walk-in service allows patients or their representatives to receive a box of five LFD tests from their local Whitworth Pharmacy on confirmation of the patient's inclusion in the cohort potentially eligible for COVID-19 treatments.

Please bring along your NHS letter of eligibility when visiting us for the LFD service. However, if you are unable to locate your letter our friendly pharmacy team may be able to verify this by looking at your records. 

Patients who do not meet the clinical criteria will be charged for LFD test kits.

Now available at your local Whitworth Pharmacy, visit us today to collect your free lateral flow test kits.

The lateral flow test is an accurate and reliable test used to detect coronavirus. They have been rigorously evaluated by the UK’s top scientists to ensure they detect proteins (antigens) that are present when a person has COVID-19. They are a home testing kit that provides results in just 30 minutes.

Lateral flow tests are hand-held devices that have an absorbent pad at one end and a reading window at the other. The strip of test paper inside changes colour if COVID-19 antigens are detected and you can have three possible results – negative, positive or invalid. 

The rapid home coronavirus test kits (lateral flow tests) are suitable for everyone.

 Symptoms of COVID-19 include: 

·         A high temperature 

·         A new, continuous cough 

·         A headache

·         Fatigue 

·        A loss of your sense of smell or taste, or it has changed.  

If you or a family member is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 you may be able to look after yourself at home. Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you or your child have symptoms and either: have a high temperature, do not feel well enough to go to work, school, childcare, or do your normal activities.

An estimated 80% of people with COVID-19 do not experience symptoms of the virus, even if they have tested positive.  

The lateral flow test can quickly detect these hidden cases and prevent the spread of the virus. They are also practical and easy to use so suitable for widespread testing of the general public.  

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and can be found in the NICE guidelines ‘Supporting information on risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19’.