Almost 600m NHS home Covid tests unaccounted for, auditors reveal (England)

[Northerner]

Almost 600m lateral flow tests given to the public in England may not yet have been used, according to a report that says the hugely expensive test-and-trace system is still bedevilled by problems.

The National Audit Office said NHS Test and Trace (NSHT&T), which Boris Johnson promised would be world-beating and has a budget exceeding that of the Department for Transport, was struggling with some “fundamental parts” of its role.

In a move to help track and suppress the spread of coronavirus, NHST&T distributed 691m quick-result tests to people across England with the aim of helping people to return to workplaces.

The NAO said %results from only 14% of them had been registered, meaning almost 600m had gone unaccounted for.

Almost 600m NHS home Covid tests unaccounted for, auditors reveal

Results from only 14% of the 691m tests handed out in England have been registered with test and trace

www.theguardian.com

A massive waste of money and a huge missed opportunity. And the fact that consultancy fees have actually risen is scandalous - what skills, exactly, are they providing that doesn't already exist in Public Health? R4 Today programme said fees are £6,600 a day - what the hell are they doing that can justify that? Gravy train

 

[Robin]

I’m not surprised. They come in packs of 7. Son and daughter have both got a pack. Daughter says she’s used 2, on occasions when she’s had to go into the office, but both of them are keeping some in reserve for if they go to sporting or music events that require them later in the year. I thought about getting a pack just in case I went anywhere where a test was needed, but didn’t in the end. A lot of people probably did, though.