Zava, the digital doctor service, is set to start offering a Covid-19 testing service direct to consumers.

The kits will be distributed to patients via the company’s website with results processed and reported back within two to three days. Medical advice and referral if required is included in the purchase price.

The tech company will start shipping the tests within the next few days at a price of £135 with a 40% discount for health and care staff.

Anyone wanting to acquire a home testing kit will have to complete a questionnaire on Zava’s website which will be reviewed by medical experts to ensure they meet the correct criteria.

“We want to avoid any stockpiling of tests,” Tom Barltrop, Zava's head of UK and Ireland, told HealthInvestor UK, adding that the company had gone to considerable lengths to ensure that rolling out the B2C offering would not negatively impact the ability of the NHS and other providers to conduct testing.

Zava is also working with the nursing and care homes sector to enable them to test workers and residents on a regular basis to limit the spread of the virus.