Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

NHS Test and Trace

Tuesday 6 October 2020 · 8 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • NHS Test and Trace has contacted more than 150,000 people who tested positive for covid-19 and over 450,000 of their contacts since launch in May.
  • Local authorities received 400 million for local outbreak management and are working with national support on contact tracing.
  • The NHS Test and Trace system has contacted 78.5% of those who have tested positive, and 77% of their contacts have been reached since its inception.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
NHS
Context

NHS Test and Trace was launched in May.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the NHS Test and Trace service? The programme aims to contact those who have tested positive for covid-19 and their contacts so they can self-isolate. Four months after launch, more than 150,000 people have been contacted and over 450,000 of their contacts reached.

Answer from Helen Whately

NHS Test and Trace launched in May. Four months later, more than 150,000 people who have tested positive for covid-19 have been contacted, and 450,000 of their contacts have been reached so that they can self-isolate. We have tested more than 7 million people at least once and many, such as care home workers, more than once.

Answered
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Q2 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
NHS Social Care
Context

Weekly test results are delayed and there is no routine access to weekly testing.

Question

When will the care sector have all the access to testing that it needs on a reliable basis? Providers report delays in receiving weekly test results, lack of access to weekly testing for domiciliary care workers or staff working in supported living environments. Urgent need for regular testing for family members to alleviate isolation.

Answer from Helen Whately

Supporting care homes through the pandemic and ahead is our priority. We are getting regular repeat testing to care homes. Turnaround times for test results are improving.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline or commitment not provided

How: Priority, Turnaround Times Coming Down

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Q3 Mary Foy Lab City of Durham
NHS Local Government
Context

Public health professionals and the ADPH say that funding is insufficient.

Question

Where is the funding coming from to support local authorities with local outbreak management? Public health professionals report delays in receiving weekly test results, lack of access to weekly testing for domiciliary care workers or staff working in supported living environments. Evidence shows local teams are more successful in contact tracing compared to national tiers 2 and 3.

Answer from Helen Whately

Local authorities received £400 million for local outbreak management. Local systems, with national support, are important for contact tracing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific response to public health professionals not provided

How: Local Knowledge

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Q4 Karl Turner Ind Kingston upon Hull East
NHS Education
Context

Schools in the constituency are closing, impacting children's education.

Question

When will the Secretary of State take personal responsibility? Serco's test and trace has been ineffective. School closures disrupt education and work of parents. Ministers signed off on a flawed Excel spreadsheet. Test and Trace system performance questioned by opposition MPs.

Answer from Helen Whately

Enabling children to go to school is part of our strategy to tackle coronavirus. The Secretary of State answered questions about test and trace performance in Parliament yesterday.

Not addressed: Did not address personal responsibility question directly

How: Strategy, Answered Questions

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Q5 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
NHS
Context

Infection levels in York have risen significantly.

Question

Will resources be provided to enable the testing service? Local public health team, university, and labs work together on a programme offering next-day test results and tracers who understand local population flows.

Answer from Helen Whately

Set-up in York sounds good. Will follow up to ensure joint working between national resources, local expertise, and knowledge is maintained.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment not provided

How: Follow Up, Joint Working

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Q6 Philippa Whitford SNP
NHS
Context

Limited capacity at Lighthouse labs and delays in new lab openings.

Question

What additional funding will be provided to increase NHS lab capacity? New labs due in Newport and Loughborough are delayed. As NHS labs take on more testing, extra resources are needed.

Answer from Helen Whately

Testing capacity has increased from 2,000 to over 200,000 daily. Lighthouse labs and NHS testing facilities play important roles. Huge amount of money is going into the NHS for its response to covid.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific funding details not provided

How: Testing Capacity, Huge Amount

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Q7 Philippa Whitford SNP
NHS
Context

Scotland's public health-based tracing service has reached over 95% of contacts, while the Serco system in England has only reached 61%. This discrepancy is critical as effective contact tracing and isolation are key to reducing virus spread.

Question

Why should not tracing in England now be based more on local public health teams given that Scotland's system has a higher success rate?

Answer from Helen Whately

Since the NHS Test and Trace system began, it has contacted 78.5% of those who have tested positive, and then 77% of their contacts have been reached. Local authority contact tracers are supported in tracing but use local knowledge to increase success rates.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not directly address whether the NHS Test and Trace system should adopt a model similar to Scotland's involving more local public health teams.

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Q8 Justin Madders Lab Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
NHS
Context

There are concerns about creating a two-tier system for tests where some people might have to pay, which could undermine the principle of free access to NHS services.

Question

Will the Minister give us a definitive answer today? Are some people going to have to pay to access moonshot tests?

Answer from Helen Whately

I do not recognise the suggestion that there could be a two-tier system. Everyone with symptoms can access a test, and targeted testing occurs in high-risk settings like care homes.

Not addressed: The Minister did not give a definitive yes or no answer regarding whether people will have to pay for moonshot tests.

How: Did Not Recognise The Suggestion

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