Following on from our news story last week advising community pharmacy contractors that they have been invited to place their second round of orders for lateral flow devices (LFDs), contractors and pharmacy teams are reminded of the need to report all test results (negative, void or positive) online.

Patient-facing pharmacy staff who choose to use the LFDs (this is a voluntary test) to test for COVID-19 must report their results on the GOV.UK website each time they do a test as this is a statutory notifiable disease reporting requirement. Reporting is straightforward, with a standard NHS login, which removes the requirement to input demographic data each time a result is reported.

As well as being a statutory requirement, the reporting helps provide a more accurate local picture of infection rates. This therefore helps to reduce infection rates in local communities, protect people at higher risk of infection, and prevent and reduce the spread of the virus.

Contractors are encouraged to ensure all patient-facing pharmacy staff are aware of this statutory requirement.