Boris Johnson voices frustration as Test and Trace records worst week

Prime Minister says it is 'absolutely crucial' to improve the system so that more people are warned to self-isolate

tmg.video.placeholder.alt 8aY5J296p9Y

Boris Johnson has said he is "frustrated" by Test and Trace's slow turnaround times as the latest figures showed just one in seven people receiving Covid test results within 24 hours.

The Prime Minister said it was "absolutely crucial" to improve the system as official figures showed its worst performance on record. Scientists have repeatedly said speedy isolation is key to controlling virus outbreaks. 

After NHS Test and Trace was launched, Mr Johnson pledged that, by the end of June, the results of all in-person tests would be back within 24 hours.

But statistics for the week ending October 14 show that just 15 per cent of people who were tested for Covid received their results within 24 hours, down from 33 per cent the week before (the graphic below shows the decline in efficiency to September). 

The proportion of close contacts of positive cases who were reached and urged to isolate also hit an all-time low. Just 59.6 percent of contacts were reached, down from 63 per cent in the previous week.

On Thursday, Mr Johnson said testing was "on track" to be able to offer 500,000 a day by the end of the month, with daily capacity now above 370,000. But the figures show the system is struggling to process the tests quickly enough for that to be effective.

He told a Downing Street press conference: "I share people's frustrations and I understand totally why we do need to see faster turnaround times and we need to improve it. We need to make sure that people who do get a positive test self-isolate – that's absolutely crucial if this thing is going to work in the way that it can."

Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, said: "It's undoubtedly the case that test, trace and isolation becomes much more difficult to have an impact once numbers are high. It's much more effective when numbers are low."

He said it was "really important" to reach more contacts and speed up turnaround times, adding: "It's very clear there's room for improvement on all that, and therefore that could be diminishing the effectiveness of this."

A total of 101,494 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England at least once in the week to October 14, a rise of 12 per cent in positive cases on the previous week. Experts said the trends were "disturbing".

When home tests are included in the statistics, just seven per cent of results were received in 24 hours – down from 15 per cent in a week. 

Data showed only 15.1 per cent of people tested for Covid in England at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit in the week ending October 14 received their result within 24 hours
Data showed only 15.1 per cent of people tested for Covid in England at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit in the week ending October 14 received their result within 24 hours Credit: Christopher Pledger

Saffron Cordery, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: "These figures provide yet more evidence that the Test and Trace system – a key part of the effort to monitor and curb Covid-19 – is falling short.

She said the figures on turnaround times were "particularly disturbing", adding that the failure to reach more than 100,000 close contacts of positive cases was even more worrying. 

The data shows the positivity rate – the proportion of all tests returning a positive result – has climbed to 7.1 per cent for the week, the highest since test and trace began. According to criteria published by the World Health Organisation, a positivity rate of less than five per cent is one indicator that the epidemic is under control in a country.

Baroness Dido Harding, the interim executive chairman of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: "Reducing turnaround times is our absolute priority to make sure we are reaching people as soon as possible.

"We always need to balance ensuring as many people as possible can get a test alongside ensuring test results are delivered as quickly as possible, and as capacity continues to grow at pace, we expect to see improvements."

On Thursday night, Dr Tristan Cope, the medical director of Liverpool's hospital trust, said he was "deeply concerned" after the numbers of coronavirus patients in hospital rose above levels at the peak of the first wave.

On Wednesday, the trust – which includes the Royal, Broadgreen and Aintree hospitals in the city – had 408 inpatients with Covid-19, compared with 390 at the peak of the pandemic on April 12.

On Thursday night it emerged that the Government is seeking to hire an operations chief for its test and trace system with experience turning around "failing call centres".

The role will carry a rate of up to £2,000 a day, according to an advert that appeared on recruitment sites which was said to have been posted on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

The advert, which has since been removed, said the ideal candidate would have "experience (and evidence) of turning around failing call centres”.

The Government confirmed to The Guardian that it was recruiting for the role, but said the advert that had appeared would be redrafted. 

License this content