Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for accurate diagnosis to ensure the prescribing of anti-viral drugs.

A range of treatment options are available to non-hospitalised patients at higher risk from COVID-19 to reduce severe disease, hospitalisation and death. The highest risk cohort also have access to free lateral flow device testing to facilitate access to these treatments.

The clinical access policy states that an individual must be in the highest risk cohort, have symptoms of COVID-19 without signs of recovery and must have a confirmed positive test result. The patient must then undergo a clinical assessment before they can be prescribed an antiviral treatment.