Tracers fail to contact three in 10 people who test positive

Test-and-trace staff are not reaching three in 10 people who test positive for coronavirus, amid a rapid rise in cases.

New figures from NHS Test and Trace show a sharp drop in the percentage of people transferred to the contact tracing system who are then reached.

Between Sept 17 and 23, 71.3 per cent were reached and asked to provide information about their contacts – down from 80.8 per cent in the previous week.

It comes as the number of positive cases shot up by 61 per cent in a week.

A total of 31,373 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week to Sept 23.

This is the highest weekly number since Test and Trace was launched at the end of May.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said: “We continue to be extremely concerned about the spread of Covid-19.

“Data show that there has been 61 per cent more people testing positive for the virus than last week.

“We are equally troubled that only 71 per cent of people who were transferred to the Test and Trace system were reached, which is a big decrease from 81 per cent last week.

“While Test and Trace has been built from scratch at great speed, it is becoming increasingly urgent that it does the job we need it to do as we approach winter.

“Trust leaders across the country are expressing increasing concern that current testing shortages are starting to impact on NHS service recovery and winter preparations.”

Yesterday the Commons health and social care select committee criticised the lack of any commitment to introduce regular testing for all NHS staff.

Jeremy Hunt, the committee’s chairman, said weekly testing was required to prevent the service becoming a largely “Covid-only” service.

The Government said testing capacity was increasing and the median distance travelled by people who go for a test is now 4.3 miles, down from 5.2 miles the previous week.

Baroness Harding, interim executive chairman of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: “We are continuing to work tirelessly to increase capacity and make tests as accessible as possible.”