Covid - 19 Testing

So much for this 'world beating' track & trace system. They couldn't even get it right in Scotland which has a much smaller population. This scumbag 'nasty party' government are a joke !!!


UK Health Secretary ‘tried to restrict testing in Scotland due to backlog’

PA
Sep 14th 2020 9:38AM
Matt Hancock wanted to restrict the number of people who could get a coronavirus test in Scotland because of a UK-wide backlog, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister said the UK's Health Secretary proposed limiting the number of slots available for testing in Scottish mobile and regional test centres.

But his Scottish counterpart Jeane Freeman "managed to avoid that happening" during negotiations over the weekend, Ms Sturgeon said.



She explained that the UK Government processes the majority of Covid-19 tests in Scotland but a UK-wide "demand issue" has been causing delays for patients waiting to receive their results.

One of the ways the UK Government was trying to deal with the backlog was to restrict access to testing

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland
Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon said: "We were concerned over the weekend that one of the ways the UK Government was trying to deal with the backlog was to restrict access to testing, and the Health Secretary managed to avoid that happening in Scotland."

Ms Sturgeon said she has "serious concern" about the testing backlog and has urged Mr Hancock to share the "full scale and nature of issues they are facing" so her government could help to try and fix the problems.

She continued: "There was a proposal over the weekend that the available slots at mobile testing units and regional testing centres in Scotland would be reduced and the Health Secretary managed to avoid that happening so that we retained full capacity for Scotland.

"We have no indication at the moment that there is any significant issue in Scotland with people accessing testing slots."

Ms Sturgeon added: "The issue that we do appear to be suffering some impacts from – and again it's a UK-wide issue – is a backlog in tests being processed that is then leading to a longer turnaround time."

Ms Freeman said she had "constructive conversations" with Mr Hancock and her Welsh counterpart Vaughan Gething about the backlog, which she said was being caused by rising demand and "an issue with the speed and capacity of processing the tests".

She added: "I was pleased that we managed not to have the restrictions on access to testing slots that were originally being proposed, but this is work that we need to continue because we need to try as best we can to work cooperatively and to resolve this situation."

The concerns about test results were raised after Ms Sturgeon announced 70 new coronavirus cases north of the border in the past 24 hours, but said she believed the figures were based on incomplete data due to issues with the testing system.

22,749
Total number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland
Scottish Government
The additional positive cases account for 2.7% of newly-tested individuals, down from 3.2% on Sunday.

No deaths of confirmed Covid-19 patients have been recorded in the past 24 hours and the number of fatalities under this measure remains at 2,499.

There are 264 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by five in 24 hours.

Of these patients, seven were in intensive care, the same as the previous day.

Our contact tracing app – Protect Scotland – is now available to download. It is:

Simple and easy to use Private and anonymous An extra tool to support #TestAndProtect

Download today to help us stop the spread ⬇

— Scottish Government (@scotgov) September 10, 2020

The First Minister also said more than 900,000 people have downloaded the Protect Scotland coronavirus contact tracing app since its launch last week.

She said it was believed this was enough for the technology to begin working, but urged those who have not to do so.

She particularly urged students who will be heading to university soon to download the app.

The UK's Department of Health has been contacted for comment.

 

And still the 'shambles' continues !!! The blond khazi mop-head's idea of a 'moonshot' has badly missed its target !!!


‘World beating shambles’ – Tests run out in England’s top Covid hotspots

Yahoo Staff Writer
Sep 14th 2020 3:01PM
MPs have branded England's Test and Trace system a "world beating shambles" after it emerged that some of the country's Covid-19 hotspots have no tests available.

According to LBC, tests are unavailable in Bolton, Salford, Bradford, Blackburn, Oldham, Preston, Pendle, Rochdale, Tameside or Manchester.

These areas have some of the highest infection rates in the UK, including Bolton, which currently has the highest rate of new infections, according to recent data.



Jim McMahon, the Labour MP for Oldham, said: "We are being left to face it alone, with harsher restrictions almost certainly coming.

EXCL: There are currently no tests at all available in ANY of the top 10 Covid-19 hotspots in England, LBC can reveal. No walk-in, drive-through or home tests available for people in Bolton, Salford, Bradford, Blackburn, Oldham, Preston, Pendle, Rochdale, Tameside or Manchester.

— Ben Kentish LBC (@BenKentish) September 14, 2020
"Three weeks of social lockdown, rocketing infection rates, online booking system completely fallen down, walk-in testing turning people away at the door, including children displaying symptoms."

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth described the situation as "a world beating shambles".

Not just any shambles now a world beating shambles https://t.co/fmGxEcIe3H

— Jonathan Ashworth � (@JonAshworth) September 14, 2020
Meanwhile Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi said: "Completely unacceptable. I spoke personally to the Health Secretary a week ago (as well as writing to him) and told him we needed an urgent and dramatic increase in testing capacity in Bolton. They have failed to deliver on that..."

And Lucy Powell, whose Manchester Central constituency is also under local lockdown, tweeted: "The failure of testing regime not only risks lives, but it significantly undermines trust and confidence in the measures the government are asking of us all. It can't be beyond government to have anticipated a big rise in demand once schools returned as kids pick up colds etc"

The failure of testing regime not only risks lives, but it significantly undermines trust and confidence in the measures the government are asking of us all.
It can't be beyond government to have anticipated a big rise in demand once schools returned as kids pick up colds etc https://t.co/wwAuiHcDQC

— Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) September 14, 2020
Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, also tweeted that she has had had six parents whose children need COVID tests because they were showing symptoms and won't be allowed back to school without a negative test result.

According to LBC, there were no tests available in the towns and cities and people were unable to book tests from the government website which says they are "currently very busy and try again later".

So far had six parents whose children need Covid tests because showing symptoms and won't be allowed back to school without a negative test result. Good news is they aren't being directed to Aberdeen. Bad news is not being directed anywhere..has anyone in E17 got a test today?!

— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) September 14, 2020
The problem is understood to be down to a laboratory bottleneck.

Professor Christina Pagel, of University College London, warned that the lack of tests will mean people will not be isolating and spreading the virus further.

"This is increasingly dangerous. People with Covid but no test confirmation will not necessarily be isolating and their contacts certainly won't," she tweeted.

This is increasingly dangerous. People with Covid but no test confirmation will not necessarily be isolating and their contacts certainly won't. We don't know where and how much it is spreading. Covid is being given a free ride to spread and official case numbers misleading https://t.co/A7Szb0lH4L

— Christina Pagel (@chrischirp) September 14, 2020
A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said: "It is wrong to say testing is not available in these areas, and our capacity continues to be targeted where it is needed most.

"Whilst we are seeing significant demand, over a million tests are being processed every week – with around 200,000 every day on average over the last week.

"New booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily for people with symptoms, and Mobile Testing Units continue to be deployed to areas with local outbreaks.

"If you do not have symptoms and are not eligible to get a test, you can continue to protect yourself if you wash your hands, wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules."

On Sunday, it emerged that government testing laboratories across the UK were facing a backlog of nearly 200,000 COVID-19 tests and are having to send some samples abroad to help reduce the pressure.

DHSC documents leaked to The Sunday Times showed a backlog of 185,000 tests on Friday.

Kelly Klifa, co-founder of Testing For All, a nonprofit company that makes cheap Covid-19 tests said: "The test centre has tests, so the bottleneck is the lab itself. The tests are being routed to the wrong location."

Since last week there have been widespread reports of issues and shortages, with people were forced to travel miles to get a test.

Last week, the director of testing at NHS Test and Trace apologised for people who were not able to get a test.

Matt Hancock was also condemned after he claimed that too many people without coronavirus symptoms were still seeking tests.

While explaining the testing situation, Hancock said stories of people deciding to get a test before going on holiday were "not appropriate".

He was criticised by scientists for shifting the blame of problems with the testing system onto the public.

Sir Keir Starmer has also been very vocal about problems with test and trace, saying some people who have requested tests have been turned away.

Starmer said: "The government can't even get the basics right."

He went on: "The government is lurching from crisis to crisis. It still lacks even basic competence.

Last Wednesday, prime minister Boris Johnson announced plans for millions of people to be tested for coronavirus every day, in what has been dubbed a "moonshot" approach.

But some scientists have expressed doubts.

A memo published by the government's scientific advisory group (SAGE) last week warned mass testing could lead to an increased number of false positive results, or false negatives.

 

Testing is an absolute shambles . 1 Londoner was asked to be tested in Inverness . I didn't believe this at first until I saw the article in the Inverness Courier .Mileage wise your looking at around 569 miles and a 10 hour journey at least if travelling by car .

I think Matt Hancock should be forced to resign over the testing shambles as it is now affecting frontline NHS staff as well .

 

Priti Patel, the scumbag 'nasty party's' HHome Secretary has had a rough ride on radio and television this morning trying to defend the Government's stance on Track & Trace and failing dismally !!!


Priti Patel Has An Absolute Nightmare Trying To Defend 'Rule Of Six' And Covid Testing
The home secretary effectively criminalised two families having a chat in the street, but suggested hosting a birthday party on a grouse shoot was fine.

• 
  By Chris York

Priti Patel squirmed her way through a series of brutal interviews on Tuesday morning, as she tried to defend the government’s Test and Trace system in the face of mounting criticism and reports of massive failings.


People in hotspot areas and even NHS staff are being forced to stay off work and self-isolate because they cannot access coronavirus tests for themselves or family members, health leaders have warned.

Helpfully, Sir John Bell who has been overseeing the government’s antibody test programme and advising ministers, told BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme exactly what is currently going wrong.

He said: “I think what’s going wrong is the second wave.

“A month ago they had spare capacity in testing – significant spare capacity – but I think what has been underestimated was the speed at which the second wave would arrive, but also the pressure put on the system from children returning to school, and the testing demands associated with that, and people increasingly out and about.

“So, I think they are definitely behind the curve in terms of getting the necessary tests for what we need today.”

But in stark contrast to Bell’s candour, the home secretary insisted tests were available and everything was largely OK.

The ‘reality’ in Bolton
One particular area of concern is Bolton where the infection rate is the highest in England, and residents have complained of long delays in trying to book a test and in some cases being offered appointments in other areas of the UK.

Responding to the criticisms put forward by BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, Patel said: “Well I think the reality is...”

Walker interrupted: “That is the reality. You can’t get a test in Bolton at the moment. In fact, in the worst 10 coronavirus hotspots in England at the moment, there are no tests available.”

Undeterred, Patel continued to dispute the facts on the ground: “Well you’ve already heard me say tests are available. You’ve heard me say as well particularly in local lockdown areas, I’ve seen this myself, I’ve seen the teams working on this.

“Mobile testing is going in, capacity is going into local areas where lockdowns have been undertaken and are taking place. So it’s wrong to say tests are not available, new booking slots are being made available every single day, mobile testing slots are being made available and on top of that, home testing kits are being issued across the country but specifically in local lockdown areas.”

Dan Walker - The people in Bolton can't get coronavirus tests?

Priti Patel - Test are available... it's wrong to say tests are not available..

Head in sand about the testing fiasco. #BBCBreakfastpic.twitter.com/QafT5OBZqh

— Haggis_UK (@Haggis_UK) September 15, 2020
Mingling and grousing
After the already infamous ‘Rule of Six’ came into force yesterday, Patel was asked if two families of four stopping for a chat on the way to the park constituted “mingling”.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is mingling. I think it is absolutely mingling.

“You have got to put this in the context of coronavirus and keeping distance, wearing masks.

“The rule of six is about making sure that people are being conscientious and not putting other people’s health at risk.”

Patel added: “Mingling is people coming together. That is my definition of mingling.”

single and ready to get arrested if I mingle

— Esther Webber (@estwebber) September 15, 2020
Commentators were quick to highlight a story HuffPost UK revealed yesterday which described how the government has exempted grouse shooting and other “hunting” with guns from the restrictions.

In response to one question on LBC, Patel suggested someone could “theoretically” have a birthday party on a grouse shoot.

Scenario 1
-Family meeting friends on street could be ‘illegal mingling’ and might be fined by police, says Priti Patel #r4today

Scenario 2
-30 friends gather to shoot grouse.
Perfectly ok. Go ahead

A mess

— Paul Johnson (@paul__johnson) September 15, 2020
Priti Patel tells #Today if a family of 4 comes across another family of 4 in the street who they know & they stop for a chat they are “mingling” & have committed a criminal offence. This is complete nonsense & we risk a total breakdown on #COVID19 rule compliance.

— Anna Soubry (@Anna_Soubry) September 15, 2020
Nick Ferrari on the Rule of Six: "I could have a birthday party on a grouse shoot?"

Home Secretary Priti Patel: "Theoretically, you might want to give it a go. It's not my cup of tea, I will be honest about that."

— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) September 15, 2020
Mixed blessings for Priti Patel’s neighbours
Speaking to Sky News, Patel said she’s “rarely at home” these days, but added: “I saw something that I thought was inappropriate then, quite frankly, I would call the police.”

Clearly describing the act of dobbing in neighbours, she said: “It’s not dobbing in neighbours,

She added: “It’s all about us taking personal responsibility.”

Watch out, if you live next door to Priti Patel

“If I saw something that I thought was inappropriate, then quite frankly I would effectively call the police. It's not about dobbing in neighbours, I think it's all about us taking personal responsibility.“

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) September 15, 2020
Dobbing in the government
Patel was also forced to defend the controversial clauses in the Internal Market Bill, which last week the government admitted would break the law in a “limited and specific way”.

In an exchange with LBC’s Nick Ferrari and after admitting she would call the police if she saw people breaking the ‘Rule of Six’, Patel was asked what the public should in other cases of law-breaking.

Ferrari said: ”“Who do I call when the government breaks the law?”

Patel replied: “I think you’re conflating two fundamentally separate issues. You are speaking about acts of Parliament and interpretations of international treaties and domestic law.

“The two are completely separate.”

At least we know she is capable of honesty "in a limited and specific way"

— CuparArab (@CuparArab) September 15, 2020
And back to those pesky reports on testing...
The home secretary also faced a grilling over testing on the BBC’s Today programme, where she still refused to give a straight answer on why hotspots are having problems with testing. Here’s part of her interview with Mishal Husain:

Patel: “At a local level... Public Health England (PHE) is working with trusts to prioritise individuals and make sure that those who absolutely need the test are getting the test.”

Host Mishal Husain: ”But they’re not home secretary. Council leaders in Bolton are in the highest levels of prevalence in the country and they are having problems with testing.”

Patel: “Well I think the key thing to point out right now is it’s PHE working not just with the NHS but with local authorities to pinpointing the actual hotspots. The government has data down to the postcode, where the hotspots are.

Husain: “So why is it going wrong then?”

Patel: “Well mobile testing units are being put in place. This is an issue of capacity and demand.

Husain: “Yes, but we knew there would be more demand when children went back to school, didn’t we?”

Patel” Of course, and that demand is growing and that capacity is growing on a daily basis.”

Husain: “Just not the point it’s actually needed...”

Patel: “The capacity is growing.”

There is a horrific clash going on on @BBCr4today at the moment between someone who is good at their job @MishalHusain and someone who really is not @pritipatel

— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) September 15, 2020

 

How Matt Hancock's incompetence in establishing a working track & trace system is harming the very organisation it was all intended to protect !!!


NHS Staff Forced Off Work Due To Covid Testing Shortages, Hospital Bosses Warn
A lack of coronavirus tests is resulting in staff shortages, putting services at risk, health service leaders have warned.

• 
  By Léonie Chao-Fong

NHS staff are being forced to stay off work and self-isolate because they cannot access coronavirus tests for themselves or family members, health leaders have warned.

Hospitals in Bristol, Leeds and London have raised concerns about the lack of tests available to staff, according to NHS Providers, which represents NHS trust leaders.


It claimed the lack of testing is contributing to staff absences, putting NHS services at risk and impacting on preparations for the winter pressures of Covid-19 and seasonal flu.

It comes after widespread reports from people across England claiming they were unable to book tests or were being offered tests hundreds of miles away.

One doctor claimed two NHS doctors were unable to go into work because of a lack of testing, despite continually checking the website through the night.

Last week HuffPost UK revealed emergency workers were being turned away from testing sites, with 1,500 cars turned away from sites across England on just one day.

There is no COVID testing in west London at all today - neither walk in nor drive thru.

Which means *two* NHS doctors cannot go to work - at a time when COVID cases are surging.

They checked all through the night.. 2am.. 5am.. Still nothing.@matthancock this is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/a5ktv0OUcl

— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) September 11, 2020
NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said: “It’s clear that there are current capacity problems with the testing regime.

“Trust leaders from Bristol, Leeds and London have all raised concerns over the weekend about the lack of testing availability leading to greater levels of staff absence.

“It’s not just access for tests for staff members themselves, it’s also access for their family members as NHS workers have to self-isolate if their family members are unable to confirm if they have Covid-19 or not.

“The problem is that NHS trusts are working in the dark – they don’t know why these shortages are occurring, how long they are likely to last, how geographically widespread they are likely to be and what priority will be given to healthcare workers and their families in accessing scarce tests.”

He added NHS trusts were also concerned about the impact of shortages on patients who need to be tested for coronavirus before being admitted for hospital treatment.

“We’re aware of a small number of examples of patients being unable to get such tests, which cuts across trusts’ ability to restore services in the way they have been asked to do,” he said.

“The government response has often been to rely on a random, impressive sounding, overall statistic – the number of tests performed or PPE (personal protective equipment) items delivered – or to set out a bold future ambition – a world class test and trace service by June, or a moonshot testing regime at some point next year,” he said.

“Both approaches ignore the operational problem at hand. Neither helps the frontline organisations that actually have to deal with the problem.”

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said testing capacity has been targeted at the hardest-hit areas following a rise in demand.

An NHS spokesperson said: “Hospitals continue to fully comply with recommended patient and staff testing protocols. To further support the national Test and Trace programme, NHS hospital labs have now been asked to further expand their successful, fast turnaround and highly accurate, testing capacity.”

 

Should Hancock get the sack for his incompetence ???


Hancock forced to prioritise who gets Covid-19 tests in face of increased demand

PA
Sep 15th 2020 11:44AM
Coronavirus tests in England will be rationed as the Government struggles to get to grips with soaring demand amid warnings that the country faces a tough six months in the battle with Covid-19.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there would be "prioritisation" of tests for people with acute clinical need and those in social care settings as he acknowledged "operational challenges" in the system.

He faced a barrage of complaints in the Commons about people being forced to travel long distances or even enter false addresses in the hope of securing a test.

NHS leaders have called for health workers and patients to be given priority after Government sources admitted that demand for tests is currently far outstripping supply.



Mr Hancock said an updated prioritisation list would set out who will be at the front of the queue.

It comes after anyone suffering symptoms, regardless of where they work or live, were urged to book tests in recent months and amid concerns that the return of children to school – and a Government drive to get employees back in the workplace – could increase testing demand.

"We have seen a sharp rise in people coming forward for a test, including those who are not eligible," Mr Hancock said.

"As demand has risen, so we are having to prioritise once again and I do not shirk from decisions about prioritisation. They are not always comfortable, but they are important."

Acute clinical care is the top priority, with social care next on the list and currently receiving more than 100,000 tests a day.

Mr Hancock said prioritisation was "a choice that we must make".

Government sources acknowledged there was no accurate data on how many people who are not eligible for a test have tried to book one.

Mr Hancock admitted that it might be "a matter of weeks" before the testing problems are resolved.

Testing is a shambles. People who are unwell or with poorly children need tests now.

When testing breaks down, tracing breaks down & we can't track growth in the virus.

Infections are rising & ministers are losing control of the virus.

Testing needs fixing urgently. #covid19pic.twitter.com/4pa4j6byCr

— Jonathan Ashworth (@JonAshworth) September 15, 2020

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth claimed Mr Hancock was "losing control of this virus".

Mr Hancock told MPs that the average distance travelled to a test site is now 5.8 miles and defended the Government's efforts.

But in the Commons:

– Twickenham MP Munira Wilson said her constituents had been told to enter a postcode as if they lived in Aberdeen in order to secure a test near their south-west London homes.

– Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said constituents in his Surrey constituency had been sent to Bristol or the Isle of Wight for tests.

– Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said 90 people were turned away from a walk-in test centre in east London by staff from Deloitte, which runs the service.

Downing Street was forced to deny reports that tests are not available in the worst-hit parts of England.

A No 10 spokesman said: "Our capacity continues to be targeted to where it is most needed, which is why booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily for people with symptoms."

The testing situation was discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, who has been advising ministers, said the speed at which more people would need tests had been underestimated and warned that the problem could get worse.

The first line of defence against #coronavirus is social distancing: #HandsFaceSpace & the rule of six. pic.twitter.com/1v4YZy6TAa

— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) September 15, 2020

Sir John told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think they are definitely behind the curve in terms of getting the necessary tests for what we need today."

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said the health service in England had been hit by staff being off work who were unable to get a test or were forced to wait for results.

He said the NHS "simply can't spare members of staff waiting for tests not being able to come into work" and patients unable to be tested.

Professor Alan McNally, director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, who helped set up the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Lab, told BBC Breakfast there were "clearly underlying issues which nobody wants to tell us about", plus a surge in demand for tests.

Leading figures in Whitehall are braced for a difficult winter with the possibility of further increases in Covid-19 cases among the more vulnerable elderly population.

"This is going to be a problem for six months and I think anyone who thinks otherwise is extremely optimistic," a senior source said.

While the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 was relatively low, the source said "the direction of travel is only going to go one way, in my view between now and the winter, which is up".

"And as that happens, the risk is that we get bigger numbers," the source warned, potentially leading to an increase in the number of deaths.
Members of the public speak with staff at a coronavirus testing facility in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (Jacob King/PA)
The Government said that as of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 3,105 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

A further 27 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday. This brings the UK total to 41,664.

Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,500 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

 

Yet more evidence of Hancock's incompetence !!!


Twickenham MP says residents could only get local Covid-19 test if they searched with Aberdeen postcode
Lib Dem asks if constituents should ‘game the system’ to get tests they need

Conrad Duncan@theconradduncan
19 hours ago

People in Twickenham have found they can access coronavirus tests in their local area despite being told none were available by pretending their postcode is in Aberdeen, an MP has said.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham, told the Commons she had been “inundated” with emails from doctors, teachers and parents who had been unable to access the tests they “desperately” needed.

“However, a number of them have also been advised that if they put an Aberdeen postcode into the system, they can get a test in Twickenham and they have succeeded,” Ms Wilson said.

“So could the secretary of state please tell me how on earth a world-beating test and trace system is functioning in this way, and what is he doing to fix it?”

“And in the meantime, does he recommend that I tell those constituents who desperately need a test to game the system in this way?”

Covid test shortages set to last for weeks, Matt Hancock admits
Her comments came amid local testing shortages in the UK, with some people with Covid-19 symptoms being told to get a test at sites hundreds of miles from their homes.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, faced questions from MPs on Tuesday over the government’s testing system, which has been described as a “bloody mess”.

In response to Ms Wilson’s question, Mr Hancock said MPs should tell their constituents that tests are “available in large numbers” and added: “People should take this seriously and not game the system.”

However, the health secretary admitted there were “operational challenges” with the testing system which he said the government was working to fix.

He also insisted the average distance travelled to a test site was now 5.8 miles.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, questioned Mr Hancock on why problems with the system had not been fixed over the summer.

“People want to know when they will get a test and when this mess will be fixed,” Mr Ashworth said, warning that the country was at a “perilous moment” in the pandemic.

 

I think he needs to go . A lot of things he is promising over testing are not being delivered letting too many people down and people are now getting very emotional over it as they are getting frightened by some of the hype on Covid . All this is the Governments doing .

 

So business is more important to this scumbag 'nasty party' Government than people's health !!! - bloody typical - over 300 years and the scumbags haven't changed one iota !!!

Coronavirus testing centre shut down to make way for Brexit lorry park
Car park in Kent expected to be used to deal with queues of trucks waiting to cross Channel

Andrew Woodcock
Political Editor
@andywoodcock
20 hours ago

A coronavirus testing centre has shut down to make way for a lorry park to deal with queues expected after Brexit.

The land at Ebbsfleet International railway station in Kent is understood to be earmarked as one of an array of inland facilities being prepared in up to 29 council areas to allow hauliers to deal with the extra paperwork caused by Brexit.

The government expects at least an additional 200 million export documents to be required annually after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December, whether Boris Johnson secures a free trade agreement or not.

Ministers have already identified a location in Ashford, Kent, to handle some of the thousands of lorries expected to be delayed passing through Dover and other ports every day. And other sites are expected to be created further away from the ports, with a leaked official document today predicting queues of up to two days, with truckers having to obtain a “Kent entry permit” before travelling to the county.

Planning permission was granted in September 2019 to allow use of the Ebbsfleet site temporarily for customs clearance until the end of this year.

But work at one of the car parks at the station this was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.


The site has been used as a Covid testing site, with a capacity for about 2,000 tests a day, but earlier this month testing staff were told "out of the blue" that it would be closing, the BBC reported.

Local councillor Sacha Gosine warned that the arrival of large numbers of trucks would cause disruption in the area, telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The infrastructure at Ebbsfleet cannot cope with lorries."

Cllr Gosine said it would be a "logistical nightmare" for officials.

No-deal Brexit: Tens of thousands of lorries with ‘wrong paperwork’ to be turned away at ports, secret government documents reveal

Brexit: Leaked document warns of queues of thousands of trucks waiting two days to cross Channel

Coronavirus: £800m bid to boost home testing as Lighthouse Laboratories falter

Coronavirus: UK testing programme 'in chaos' amid 185,000 test backlog
Kent County Council declined to comment on the development, saying decisions were taken at a central government level.

A UK Government Spokesperson said: "Regional testing sites were set up at great speed and selected for their immediate availability, security and access. The regional testing site at Ebbsfleet has ceased operations and a new regional testing site is operating at Curtis Way, Rochester. The relocation will allow the network to continue operating as long as needed.

"In July 2020, the government committed to spending £470m on new border infrastructure to support ports in building extra capacity to meet the new control requirements where there is space to do so, and, if necessary, to build additional inland sites across the country where checks can take place.

"Final decisions on inland sites will not be made until we have established the extent of new infrastructure that will be delivered at ports."

 

Some elements of a Bolton crowd.

Over 100 people turned up at A & E to see if they could get a test.

From personal experience if you get the mild illness you will know that you have it. It felt different to anything I have had before and is totally different feeling from flu. There was no testing when I had the virus . A decent thermometer is all that you need as the other distinguishing symptoms are easily identifiable as they are well known .

The problem is panic as I see it . TBH if you have the virus then you shouldn't be forming part of a queue ! You certainly shouldn't be driving either !

 

So Bolton has the highest reported cases in the UK going over 200 for a few days.

Tell me If I am over thinking this. If you stick "council" worker jobsworths in a tent in front of the town hall encouraging people to go for a test. Then surely this is going to make the figures higher . If you actively search for Covid you will find it . You could have this arrangement in any town and it will just increase the figures.

Its probably a blessing in disguise as regards for figure purposes, the test centres are now closed temporarily for testing until things "improve" on the test front.. Then we can see if the figures start coming down !

Its about time the Antibody test was rolled out in the community . But they wont do that will they, because they will know the more people who have had the virus ,the more likely they will start questioning some of the Covid draconian policies adopted.

 

'A world beating system of track and trace' ??? - what a joke !!! - Boris and his cohorts couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery !!!

Test result turnaround times plummet as Covid-19 cases rise

PA
Sep 17th 2020 8:05AM
The proportion of people in England receiving an in-person Covid-19 test result within the Government's 24-hour target period has hit its lowest point since the middle of June, new data shows.

Official NHS Test and Trace figures also showed that the weekly number of positive tests in England has risen to its highest level since the system was launched at the end of May.

Some 33.3% of people who were tested for coronavirus in England in the week ending September 9, at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit – a so-called "in-person" test – received their result within 24 hours.


(PA Graphics)
This is the lowest proportion since the week to June 17, when the figure stood at 31.3%.

The 33.3% figure is also down from 66.5% in the previous week, according to statistics released by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Thursday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously pledged that, by the end of June, the results of all in-person tests would be back within 24 hours.



Meanwhile, a total of 18,371 new people tested positive for Covid-19 in England in the week to September 9.

This is an increase of 75% in positive cases on the previous week, and is the highest weekly number since Test and Trace was launched at the end of May.

The figures come amid a spike in infection rates in some parts of the country, with the North East set to become the latest area in England to come under local restrictions.

NHS Test and Trace statistics [since launch]

➡️ 5.9 million individuals tested for the first time

➡️ 417,296 people reached by NHS Test and Trace

➡️ 87% of identified close contacts who provided contact details reached

Read the full report NHS Test and Trace (England) and coronavirus testing (UK) statistics: 3 September to 9 September 2020

— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) September 17, 2020

Mr Johnson admitted to MPs on Wednesday that there is not enough capacity in the testing system, after demand "massively accelerated" in recent weeks.

The latest data also shows that just 1.9% of people in England who used a home test kit for Covid-19 received their result within 24 hours in the week to September 9, the lowest percentage since Test and Trace's launch at the end of May.

Some 9.3% of people received the result of a home test within 48 hours, the lowest percentage since the week to June 10, when the figure stood at 9.1%.

DHSC statistics also show that some 73.9% of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England were reached through the Test and Trace system in the week ending September 9.

This figure is up from 69.5% on the previous week, but below the 77.2% reached in the week to August 19.


(PA Graphics)
Local health protection teams fared better in their efforts to reach contacts, with cases handled by them reaching 98.9% of contacts and asking them to self-isolate in the week to September 9.

By contrast, for cases handled either online or by call centres, 63.7% of close contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate.

Since the launch of Test and Trace, 339,438 close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have now been reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate.

Matt Hancock's statement to the House announces new restrictions in the North East and various investments in a&e departments and care homes but says virtually nothing about the testing chaos engulfing the country!!

— Justin Madders MP (@justinmadders) September 17, 2020

This is 78.1% out of a total of 434,612 people identified as close contacts.

The remaining 95,174 people (21.9%) were identified as close contacts, but were not reached.

On Thursday, the Government announced that it was launching two new "Lighthouse" testing labs in Newcastle and Bracknell.

Accompanying new sites in Newport and Charnwood, the four labs will help increase capacity to deliver 500,000 tests per day by the end of October, DHSC said.


(PA Graphics)
NHS Providers, which represents NHS trust leaders, argued that the country was "a long way off where we need to be with testing".

Deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said trust leaders were "increasingly concerned" that testing shortages could put pressure on NHS services and winter preparations due to growing staff absences.

"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," she added.

Reacting to the latest test and trace figures, Justin Madders, Labour's shadow health minister, said it was a "huge concern" that the test and trace system performance "continues to go backwards" and appeared "on the verge of collapse".

He added: "Perhaps the biggest problem is that people cannot get tested, which means thousands of people are not going into the system in the first place. Ministers must get a grip and fix testing now."

In Parliament on Thursday, shadow commons leader Valerie Vaz questioned why the Government's head of the coronavirus Test and Trace programme, Baroness Dido Harding, has not spoken in public since August.Fcase

Baroness Harding, who is interim executive chairwoman of the National Institute for Health Protection, is due to give evidence to the Commons Science and Technology Committee on Thursday.

 

That's a surprise. Well not really. Figures are down from 204 to 190 . It just shows that basing panic on just pure figures is absolute nonsense .

 

It just goes to show poor planning by this Government . Every man and his dog knows numbers will increase as we enter Autumn and the Winter. The Government have had plenty of time to get things organised . Epic Fail .

 

The 'private companies' actually running (and failing miserably) the tracking and tracing system that Boris says will be the finest on the planet !!! - Oh yeah ??? - I wonder why I can see flying pigs !!!



Here's Who Is Actually Running NHS Test And Trace
One expert says the UK was better prepared for a pandemic in the '90s when the NHS ran the labs.

If you search social media for “NHS Test and Trace” you’ll find not the latest figures on infections in the UK, nor Boris Johnson’s plan for dealing with them, but post after post of people imploring others to drop “NHS” from the name.


Instead, they claim the name – and the negative connotations that result when the system fails to reach its targets – should reflect the private companies that actually run most of the network.

Exactly. Can the media stop referring to it as the NHS test and trace scheme. Its a failed Serco Test and Trace scheme. https://t.co/FCVOpRjJyJ

— Deborah Meaden (@DeborahMeaden) September 16, 2020
“Everyone has NHS Test and Trace hoodies but none of them work for the NHS,” a test site worker employed by a private company who wished to remain anonymous told HuffPost UK.

“As far as I can tell, the whole thing is run by private companies as much as humanly possible.”

The ‘data processors’
Thirty-five organisations are listed as “data processors” involved in the NHS Test and Trace system but only four are NHS bodies. Four are Lighthouse Labs (see below).

A further four are Public Health England bodies and another is the Ministry of Defence.

The remaining 22 are private companies:

• ACF Technologies – provided software to enable you to book a test at a regional test site
• Amazon – provides logistics for home delivery of test kits, collecting completed test kits from homes and delivering them to labs
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) – provides digital solution for ordering home test kits
• AstraZeneca – analyses samples from the completed test kits
• Barcode warehouse – provides bar codes for test kits
• Boots – provides testers and test supervisors on regional test sites
• Deloitte – manages the registration and appointment booking, provides the capability for users to enter sample bar codes and responsible for holding data captured by the registration system and making it available to the NHS
• DHL – collects completed test kits from homes and delivers to labs
• EMIS Health – provides Keystone product to enable NPEx to link your test result to your GP record
• Experience Lab – provides user or market research for people who have undertaken tests
• G4S – provides facilities management for some regional test sites
• Jigsaw24 – provides mobile phones and SIMs for the mobile test units apps
• Kuenhe + Nagel – Collects completed test kits from homes and delivers to labs
• Levy – provides facilities management for some regional test sites
• Palantir – analyses anonymised data
• Randox – supplies home test kits, analyses the samples, informs you of the result of your Randox home test
• Royal Mail Group – collects completed test kits from homes and delivers to labs
• Serco -– provides facilities management for some regional test sites”
• ServerLabs – builds the “digital solution”
• Sodexo – provides testers on regional test sites, and facilities management for some regional test sites
• Teleperformance – provides call centre assistance
• TransUnion – provides identity verification checks as part of the registration process for a home test kit

The Lighthouse Labs
The Lighthouse Labs are “super labs” set up specifically to test for coronavirus and form a central part of the UK’s fight against the pandemic.

There are Lighthouse Lab sites in Glasgow, Milton Keynes and Alderley Park, Cheshire and the project is funded by the UK Government.

But while the overall responsibility for the system lies with the Department of Health, they are are managed through a partnership with the Medicines Discovery Catapult, UK Biocentre, the University of Glasgow, GSK, AstraZeneca, the University of Cambridge, and PerkinElmer.

Why does it matter?
Boris Johnson continues to refer to the “NHS Test and Trace” yet the irony is, when the NHS was actually in charge of the UK’s testing a diagnostic network, it was better perhaps better prepared to deal with a pandemic.

Dr Valerie Bevan, a retired microbiologist who helped manage NHS-run labs in the ’90s, told HuffPost UK: “It wasn’t all perfect but there was a network of 52 laboratories and I think what would have happened is that testing could have been ramped up because there was good communication and trained scientists were already there.

“In the late 2000s a lot of labs were given over to the private sector, to companies like Serco who managed them. It meant they were independent from the NHS and had to cut costs and be profit-making which was a false economy.

“Had a network of laboratories been maintained and properly resourced, it would have kept pace with the changes that were happening, so if you had a big outbreak, it would have been prepared for it.”

This week, leading doctors groups joined the revolt against the government’s handling of the crisis.

Following health secretary Matt Hancock’s admission on Tuesday that tests for Covid-19 will have to be rationed amid a surge in cases, the British Medical Association told HuffPost UK “we don’t have a fit-for-purpose testing system”.

Deputy chair Dr David Wrigley, added: “NHS Test and Trace – despite its name – is not an NHS service, it’s a largely outsourced programme that sees numerous private companies given billions of pounds to run testing sites, process samples and manage contact tracing call centres.

“Despite billions changing hands, we don’t have a fit-for-purpose testing system. People can’t access tests, they’re not getting results in time, they’re having to isolate for days on end while waiting for results and we see contact tracers failing to reach enough people.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “These claims are inaccurate and do not present a fair picture or reflect the huge amount of important work being carried out by our professional and dedicated teams. NHS Test and Trace is made up of public health experts from across the UK, including NHS staff.”

Bevan said the solution lies in having a “fully funded system where all public health services including NHS and public health labs are fully integrated”.

She added: “I worry that we are heading for a two-tier system where the NHS deals with the routine diagnostic testing and the extraordinary is dealt with by the private sector.”