Track and Trace struggles to cope with latest surge

NHS Grampian has pleaded for support from the public as Track and Trace teams struggle to cope with a surge in Covid cases.

Record numbers have been recorded through the week amid a wave driven by the more infectious Delta variant.

However, the rise has led to Track and Trace teams being put under more pressure to try to control the spread.

Now NHS Grampian has confirmed it will be prioritising cases while asking the public for help.

The surge in cases has led to NHS Grampian’s Track and Trace teams prioritising calls due to the size of their workload.

The health board has confirmed this means it will only be making telephone calls to those at most risk from Covid-19.

Those at lower risk will receive a text message with further guidance.

NHS Grampian has asked those who test positive to complete details of their close contacts to limit the workload for staff.

Chris Littlejohn, deputy director of public health, said: “If you don’t complete the form, supplied with your positive result, our teams will have to call you.

“Identifying your own contacts – making sure to include those people you live with – allows our team to concentrate on the more complex cases.

“I do not want people to think this diminishes the importance of identifying and managing the virus.

“This is a sensible and practical approach to managing the huge volume of cases being seen across the country.”

NHS Grampian also stressed the need for people to order lateral flow home test kits due to a third of cases not showing any symptoms.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has accepted the Track and Trace system is “under pressure” due to the current surge in cases.

However, she said it was still able to cope with the rise and was meeting the World Health Organisation target of contacting 80% of cases within 72 hours.

She said: “Test and Protect is under pressure when cases start to rise but it is coping well.

“The pressure is there and for all of those reasons there is collective need on all of us to stem the rise in cases as much as possible.

“I’m going to be blunt, all of us need to play our part in that.”

“Identifying your own contacts allows us to concentrate on complex cases

UNDER PRESSURE: NHS Grampian is to begin prioritising the most at-risk people due to the rising total numbers.