Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to provide covid-19 (a) tests and (b) treatment to immunocompromised patients in winter 2023-24.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS702 on 30 March 2023, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will maintain a range of capabilities to protect those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. We have retained appropriate levels of testing to support diagnosis for clinical care and treatment and to protect higher risk individuals. Those who are eligible for COVID-19 treatments can collect free rapid lateral flow test kits from a local pharmacy. Those who are immunocompromised are eligible for COVID-19 treatments and influenza antivirals in the community, enabling them easy access to treatment.

Higher risk individuals, their carers, and household contacts, are also part of the priority cohort in line for booster vaccines. UKHSA continues to encourage people to take vaccines they are eligible for, most recently via the ‘get winter strong’ campaign. More information on the campaign is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-campaign-get-winter-strong-with-flu-and-covid-19-vaccines

Guidance for people whose immune system means they are at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk