NHS Test and Trace trialled out to combat Covid-19
THE NHS Test and Trace system, recently launched in England, uses an army of 25,000 tracers to contact people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Anybody thought to be at risk of infection will have to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms.
An NHS nurse from north east England, Josie Hitchen, described how she became a contact tracer while on a career break. At the time of the pandemic outbreak, she was in Bali, training to be a yoga instructor. “I flew back into lockdown and responded to the fast tracking route on the NHS Professionals website,” she said. “This took me straight back onto the ward at my local hospital in Middlesborough as a nurse.”
When NHS Professionals sent her an email about openings for contact tracers, Hitchen applied and was accepted. “Public health promotion has always been something I’m interested in,” she said.
She started training immediately; it involved understanding the coronavirus, familiarising herself with data protection and the various systems used in tracing.
“I was also lucky enough to be involved in some roleplay calls before the system went live,” Hitchen, who has so far contact traced 10 people, said.
She now juggles nursing shifts with contact-tracing shifts. She has children and her husband is currently away. Her mother is a designated carer for her youngest (the others can go to school as she is a key worker), but the flexibility of shifts suits her and her family.
She described her shift as a contact tracer. “You log on to various systems and you get assigned cases. Then you run the record of the patient to get a bit of their information and prepare yourself. Next, you call them, explain who you are, where you’re calling from, what contact tracing will do, how it can help prevent the spread of the virus and ask if they’re happy to proceed.”
Next, the person answers a questionnaire on a government website. It includes details such as where they have been, who has been in the house with them and where they have worked, among others. People can fill these in this questionnaire themselves, but contact tracers help those who do not have a smart phone or are comfortable doing it with some assistance.
On average, a call takes about 45 minutes. “I’m enjoying it,” Hitchen said. “It’s been interesting to learn about the coronavirus and the systems we use. I’ve had lots of positive feedback.”
Most people agree to take part in the questionnaire. She added, “Especially when they’re self-isolating, people are often very happy to speak to someone.
“I spoke to a nurse recently and we had a lovely chat on the phone. We traced her steps and she gave me really good feedback.”
NHS Test and Trace is the service in England. Please check with your health authority for details. Visit nhs.uk/coronavirus to find out how to get a test