LONDON (UK) – Britain’s COVID test and trace system is not able to adhere to its objectives, and it has been delivering results too slowly. This has come true in the case of finding too few contacts of those who tested positive, the government’s spending watchdog said on Friday.
The National Audit Office report also found that, over the summer, thousands of call handler staff on average only worked for 1%, during the time for which they were getting payment.
The NAO said the government had managed to succeed in starting off with the NHS Test and Trace Service (NHST&T) from scratch and had the efficiency for 500,000 tests per day at the end of October and was working towards 800,000 by the end of January.
However, it also failed to take adequate steps to prepare for a sharp rise in testing demand when schools and universities reopened.
“It must improve its performance with a focus on effective engagement with the public and integration with local efforts to improve tracing,” said Gareth Davies, the NAO head.
“Instead of handing multi-million pound contracts to big private outsourcing firms the government should have invested in local, experienced public health expertise,” said Jonathan Ashworth, the health spokesman for the opposition Labour Party.
The Department of Health acknowledged there had more work to do but said since NHST&T’s launch, 20% of the population had been tested at least once. At least 41 million tests had been carried out and two million people contacted and were told to self-isolate, with the proportion of contacts reached reaching 86% in the last week.
A spokesman said, “As the COVID-19 vaccination programme is rolled out, we are determined to ensure that NHS Test and Trace plays an even more effective role in stopping the spread of the virus.”