A UK provider of self-diagnostic tests has launched a UTI at-home self-test as new figures show doctors spend 8 million hours a year testing patients for water infections. The test is designed to free up busy GPs and save the NHS up to £300m every year.
The UTI test is now on the shelves at Tesco supermarkets and is also available online for patients. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are responsible for roughly eight million GP visits each year (which equates to £295 million in doctor’s time). The newfoundland UTI pack - containing three tests - retails for £9.87, one-third of the price of its high street competitors.
NHS wait times have seen 40 per cent of those seeking a diagnostic test had to wait more than four weeks, with 13 per cent waiting for over twelve weeks.
The UTI Test is a firm plastic strip onto which leukocyte and nitrites test pads are attached. If the test detects a positive result, the leukocyte test pad should present beige to dark purple, and the nitrites test pad should present uniform pink to red signalling a likely UTI. The results will be available in 1-2 minutes.
For many people, a UTI might be seen as a painful inconvenience, but when left untreated, a UTI can become very serious and even life-threatening. The bladder infection can turn into a kidney infection, which can then result in a more serious infection that moves to the bloodstream.
Co-founder of newfoundland, Frederick Manduca said: “Ultimately these affordable and accessible at-home tests alleviate pressure off doctors, allowing them to focus on the work they are trained to do, whilst saving money and resources for the NHS.”
The newfoundland UTI rapid at-home test is now available to buy at Tesco and online at www.newfoundland.io
