Test and Trace is ‘fit for purpose’
THE NHS Test and Trace programme is not yet “gold standard”, its head admitted as figures showed a third of people who tested positive for coronavirus could not be reached by officials or failed to provide details of their contacts.
Some 8,117 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England had their case transferred to the NHS system, of whom 5,407 (67%) were reached, while 2,710 (33%) did not provide information about their contacts or could not be reached.
Overall, 31,794 contacts were identified and, of these, 26,985 were reached and advised to self-isolate – 85% of the total number of contacts.
Of the remaining 15% (4,809), some were not reached, others said they were already taking action independently of the system and some simply refused to comply. People are contacted 10 times in a 24-hour period.
Baroness Harding, the head of the programme, admitted improvements were needed but said the system was “fit for purpose” and most contacts complied with the instructions.
She said even if people could not be contacted, the message was for them to selfisolate if they had symptoms. The figures, from the Department of Health and Social Care, cover the period May 28 to June 3.
“We are not at the gold standard yet that we want to be, of isolating all contacts within 48 hours of someone requesting a test,” Lady Harding said.
“But you can absolutely see the path of how we are going to get there.”
She said the system had been “stood up in extraordinary time” and would get better through the summer.
“Is it completely perfect? No, of course it isn’t. Is there stuff that we all need to do better? Yes there is.”
Baroness Harding said the “vast majority” of people wanted to play their part in the test and trace system. But she was unable to say how many people contacted and told to self-isolate had refused to comply with the request.
“This is not a mandatory process,” she told reporters.
“I am a really firm believer in the good spirit and civic behaviour of the public and we have seen the public be extremely responsive and supportive.
“These are very good numbers for compliance and we want to encourage people to be part of the system rather than have them be fearful about what might happen to them as they go through it.”
She was unable to give a date for the launch of the app which will form part of the test and trace programme she leads.
The programme said the number of people reached includes those who provided details about recent contacts or whose cases have been investigated as part of an outbreak.
The number that were not reached includes those where contact details were unavailable or incorrect, or where there has been no response to text, email and call reminders.