Restrictions in the UK have now come to an end (although the threat of COVID hasn’t) and here at Peak Pharmacy, we are delighted to help you see the world again with our fit to fly covid test and travel certificate which can be taken away to swab from the comfort of your own home or self-swabbed in the pharmacy.
PCR Fit to Fly Price: £85
Lateral Flow Test Price: £39 (coming soon)
Peak Pharmacy now provide 2 approved testing services, certified lateral flow testing (LFT) and lab-based PCR testing.
Our nasal swab LFT kits are highly accurate CE marked government approved test kits. These kits are highly effective at detecting asymptomatic COVID infections and are suitable for use to enter some countries of the world.
Our swab antigen RT-PCR test is carried out at a UK accredited laboratory and has a minimum sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 100% meaning you and your airline can be confident that the result is accurate.
An RT-PCR test is a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction test and it is currently the most accurate form of testing available.
Our PCR tests are priced at £85 for a test and our LFT’s are £39.
It is your responsibility to select the correct test and to get the timing of your test just right otherwise you may not be able to fly.
Please speak with your airline and/or check the FCO website for country-specific information on timings and suitable tests as they may vary.
No problem some of our kits can be taken home and returned to the pharmacy. Please get in touch with your local participating branch of the Peak Pharmacy group below to find out more, but be assured the test couldn’t be easier with instructional videos, and a scannable QR code. Make sure you buy your COVID test early though so you can plan ahead.
Unfortunately, not all Peak Pharmacy stores are involved in the COVID fit to fly certification initiative, but more will be added in due course, so please check back often to see if your local branch is involved.
By the way, are you looking for the new NHS Pharmacy Collect COVID lateral flow test scheme? We can also assist. The scheme is not for travel but for twice-weekly testing at home for people who are asymptomatic. It’s free of charge and you can find out more on our Pharmacy Collect Lateral Flow Test service page.
We are also delighted to announce that we can now offer Test to Release, the optional Day 5 test at a number of our pharmacies as well as the Day 2 and 8 travel packages.
Unfortunately, this depends on your destination. In the first instance please contact your airline of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for more information.
For example, your flight leaves at 1 pm on Saturday and your destination country request a test carried out no earlier than 72 hours prior.
You would need to do the test after 1 pm on Wednesday.
Lab based PCR testing – results
The sample above would be passed to the courier with the sample arriving at the lab that evening and you should get your result by email the next day (Thursday).
Whilst the lab works around the clock processing samples, our couriers don’t, so please speak with the pharmacy to ensure they can get the sample to the lab quickly enough. Usually, our couriers accept samples Monday to Friday for next day delivery to the lab, however, some of our shops can now offer a next day service Monday – Saturday.
Lateral Flow Tests – results
If your destination country will accept an LFT, the turnaround time is even quicker with results usually back the same day!
Unfortunately, you cannot use NHS testing services for travel. The free NHS service is intended for members of the public who are symptomatic or at risk of infection due to contact with a confirmed positive case.
The NHS service does not generate a certificate either to prove your negative COVID status.
What are you responsible for?
It is your responsibility as the customer to ensure that you:
Peak Pharmacy waives all responsibility for tests results not arriving back in time for your flight.
It is your responsibility as the customer to follow the lab’s instructions carefully, and select a suitable courier method to return the kit. All kits are self swab (even in-store) but our friendly team will help you every step of the way.
Liability Statement
Peak Pharmacy will not be held liable for any circumstances beyond our control or any expenses that you may incur as a result of a test result not arriving back from the laboratory in time. For example, circumstances beyond our control could include lost parcels, inconclusive tests, positive tests, lab delays or courier issues leading to a refusal to enter a country/board the plane. This list is not exhaustive and is for illustrative purposes only.
COVID fit for fly testing Pharmacies are located in many of our Peak Pharmacy branches from Milton Keynes to Manchester. To schedule an appointment or find out more simply give our pharmacist a call.
Chances are you are leaving the UK, and are planning to return. If this is the case then you need to know what to do on return. The latest government update has removed the Amber and Green List, replacing this with Not on a List or Red List. For more information about quarantine requirements on return to the UK read the latest DHSC advice.
Then either phone one of our pharmacy teams below, or drop us a contact enquiry via the website.
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Peak Pharmacy is a subsidiary of PCT Healthcare, which also trades as Tims & Parker, Manor Pharmacy, Cox & Robinson, and Brennan’s. We were founded nearly 40 years ago and strive to provide the people of Britain with the best health services possible.