Huge challenges remain to ensure rapid, regular and reliable testing says NHS Providers

The deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

“A fit for purpose Test and Trace programme is vital to guard against a second spike in cases as lockdown measures are eased.

“We welcomed the decision to focus on local plans to bear down on the virus, rather than the distraction of a national testing capacity target.

“But a project of this scale, scope and complexity was always going to take time to bed in.

“Huge challenges remain to ensure rapid, regular and reliable testing for all patients and staff as part of restarting NHS services, and to create local surge capacity that can respond effectively to protect local communities in the event of local outbreaks.

“We’re seeing progress but need to remember that serious, focused, work only started a few weeks ago. NHS Test and Trace can only, at this point, be described as a work in progress. Given how much depends on it, building public confidence in NHS Test and Trace is vital and ministers should stop describing it as world beating when it clearly, currently, isn’t.”