The CMA has been asked to examine the controversial subject of PCR travel tests by health secretary Sajid Javid, with the watchdog promising a response “within the next month”.
Three issues are currently being analysed by the CMA: whether PCR providers are breaching consumer law; whether there are “structural problems” in the market affecting price or reliability; and if the government can take any “immediate actions” to remedy these problems.
George Lusty, CMA’s senior director for consumer protection, said: “It is essential that people paying for PCR tests are treated fairly, get what they pay for and that their rights are respected when things go wrong.
“We will not hesitate to take enforcement action if we find evidence that PCR providers are breaching consumer law.”
Lusty added it was a “particularly pressing issue” for families hoping to go on holiday, as well as those reuniting with family and friends after being separated due to the pandemic.
“That is why we are also providing ongoing support to DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care), including on steps that could be considered in the interim, before the rest of our work on the PCR testing market is concluded,” he said.
