NHS test and trace records worst weekly result, failing to track down a third of contacts

The NHS’S test and trace system has seen its worst week on record for the proportion of contacts it manages to find.

Some 68.6 per cent of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid19 in England were reached through the system in the week ending Sept 30, the lowest weekly percentage since the system began, and down from 72.5 per cent in the previous week.

For cases handled by local health protection teams, 97.1 per cent of contacts were reached in the week to Sept 30. However, for cases handled either online or by call centres, 62.4 per cent of close contacts were reached.

The figures also show that just 25.7 per cent of people tested in England in the week ending Sept 30 at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit received their result within 24 hours.

This is down from 38 per cent in the previous week, and is the lowest weekly percentage since the week ending June 10 (18.4 per cent).

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pledged that, by the end of June, the results of all in-person tests would be back within 24 hours.

Overall, 51,475 new people tested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week to Sept 30. This is a rise of 56 per cent in positive cases on the previous week and is the highest weekly number since the test and trace service began at the end of May. When it comes to the percentage of positive cases out of the total number of tests, the latest data shows a positivity rate of 9 per cent.

Rowland Kao, professor of veterinary epidemiology and data science at Edinburgh University, said the positivity rate and the fact that test numbers are not increasing may be a “troubling indicator” that test and trace is not keeping up with demand.

Baroness Dido Harding, interim executive chairman of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: “We are working hard to increase testing capacity to meet demand and improve turnaround times for tests.”