Responding to the latest Test and Trace data, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

“We continue to be extremely concerned about the spread of COVID-19. The data shows that there has been 61% more people testing positive for the virus than last week.

“We are equally troubled that only 71% of people who were transferred to the Test and Trace system were reached, which is a big decrease from 81% last week.

“And only 72% of close contacts identified were reached by the system, which means the SAGE target of 80% is still being missed.

“While Test and Trace has been built from scratch at great speed, it is becoming increasingly urgent that it does the job we need it to do as we approach winter.

“Trust leaders across the country are expressing increasing concern that current testing shortages are starting to impact on NHS service recovery and winter preparations. Today the health and social care committee called for urgent improvements in testing to ensure that patients are protected during a second wave.

“On Monday, we published 12 tests that the system must meet to be fit for purpose as demand increases. This includes quadrupling testing capacity in three months; dramatically improving test turnaround times; creating a range of new testing facilities to enable those who need a test to get one locally; and improving performance at every stage of the contact tracing process.

“We still have no clear forward plans on routine testing for NHS staff and, as the committee report argued, this is becoming increasingly urgent as winter nears. We also need government to be open and honest when NHS Test and Trace encounters operational issues. The public need to know details where there is a problem, the reasons for it, and what is being done to rectify the situation. Without this, public confidence in Test and Trace will unravel and we will all suffer as a result.”