Deadline missed for contact trace scheme

Army of contact tracers already recruited, says Gove

The Government has pledged that its test-and-trace programme will be up and running by the “beginning of June” as its initial “mid-may” target appeared to have slipped. Michael Gove revealed yesterday that 17,200 of the 18,000 human contact-tracers needed for the effort had been recruited, with a “significant number” trained and ready for deployment by the end of the month. Contact-tracers are integral to the Government’s plans to ease lockdown.

THE Government has pledged that its test-and-trace programme would be up and running by the “beginning of June” as its initial “mid-may” target appeared to have slipped.

Michael Gove revealed that 17,200 of the 18,000 human contact-tracers needed for the effort had been recruited, with a “significant number” trained and ready for deployment by the end of the month.

It comes as Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, warned that lockdown restrictions should not be eased any further until the test-and-trace system was rolled out across the country.

The Government initially said it wanted to have its 18,000 contact-tracers ready by May 18 and last week Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, insisted the NHS contact-tracing app would be rolled out in “mid-may”.

A Whitehall source said last night that the Government had never committed to a firm date and that different elements of the scheme would come online at different times.

The Government is testing the programme on the Isle of Wight, where more than half the 140,000 residents have downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app that records when people come into close contact. The app sends out self-isolate alerts to users when a contact reports symptoms and directs them to where they can get a swab test. Those who test positive are called by contact-tracers to locate others at risk.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One on Sunday, Mr Gove indicated the national programme would be in place by the beginning of June. The Cabinet Office minister said: “We have 17,200 people signed up, a significant number of them already trained and they will be in place.”

Mr Gove mounted a stout defence of Mr Hancock, adding: “Matt has ensured that the NHS was not overwhelmed, he has ensured that we are now testing more people than any other country, he has ensured we have people now being trained to do test, track, trace and isolate.”

Last night, a Government source said ministers had never committed to a firm deadline for getting the system online by mid-may, adding: “We feel we are on track … and we have been boosting our testing capacity.”

Meanwhile, Mr Hunt, Mr Hancock’s predecessor, told The Daily Telegraph: “It is absolutely essential that test, track and trace is up and running before we start sending people back to school, so time is very tight.”

Mr Hunt, who is the chairman of the influential parliamentary health select committee, added that he felt the UK needed to be performing 500,000 tests a week to meet the demands of a national test-and-trace programme.

‘It is essential that test, track and trace is up and running before we start sending people back to school, so time is very tight’

Applicants for contact-tracing jobs were wrongly told recruitment had been paused this weekend. They were sent an email reading: “Unfortunately earlier today the roles were put on hold. This is due to a delay in the launch of the ‘Track and Trace’ app itself while the Government considers an alternative app,” The Guardian reported.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the email, sent by one of the private-sector companies handling the recruitment process, Kent-based HR Go, was “wrong and could cause confusion”. Recruitment continues “at pace” a spokesperson said.

HR Go said the email was sent out as a result of a miscommunication.

Meanwhile, the new contact-tracing technology will be rolled out in three Scottish health board areas today in a two-week pilot. The Scottish system differs from the NHS England app, with suspected carriers alerted via a phone call.

SNP ministers came under fire after it emerged that no contact tracers have yet been recruited from outside the NHS, despite 2,000 being needed.