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

“Yet again, we are deeply concerned by the significant increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 recorded across England. This week we have seen a 75% jump, and as not everyone is able to access a test, the actual number of cases may well be higher than the figures show.

“Equally troubling is that only 85% of these were transferred to the Test and Trace system. This is roughly the same as last week but these two consecutive weeks have marked the only times the rate has fallen below 90% since June.

“Of those positive cases transferred to the system, 82% were reached this week. This means 2,695 positive cases in the system were not reached.

“While the percentage of close contacts reached improved this week, it is still falling well short of SAGE’s target of 80%.

“Although there were 27% more people tested this week, turnaround times for pillar 2 tests, which is for the wider population, remain a big worry - with only 14% of tests returned within 24 hours, marking a significant drop from already low figures.

“Trust leaders are increasingly concerned with the current testing shortages impacting on NHS service recovery and winter preparations due to staff and their family members being unable to access a test resulting in increasing NHS staff absences.

“Additionally, with the number of positive COVID-19 cases increasing, but a reduction in the proportion being contact traced, we are looking at renewed pressure on the NHS.

“Trust leaders are concerned that they do not have the detail on why there are shortages, how widespread they are or how long they will last.

“We are a long way off where we need to be with testing.”