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Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:45 am
by snoozeofreason
Summary of the issue by Full Fact here
https://fullfact.org/health/test-trace-march-2021/

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:25 pm
by jdc
Fishnut wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:31 pm
I've seen people say that most of the money went on the testing part of test and trace and therefore it's not wasted money. But if it didn't make any difference to the outcome then doesn't that make it wasted?
Panorama's undercover agent's findings seemed to suggest the testing part might have been a waste of money given the absolute state of the lab they were working in. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... esting-lab

They wheeled out a couple of experts to be appalled by the footage they were watching. Their reactions were my favourite bits of the show.

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:15 am
by shpalman

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:22 am
by Gfamily
We've got a couple of packs, but as we're not going anywhere at the moment, we've only used one test (Mrs G before going to a school event as a governor).

Would people report a negative result?

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:37 am
by headshot
There are about 50 packs in my company's store room. We looked into using the Govt's system for businesses, but it just wasn't set up for a company like ours, so we asked our freelancers to pick up as many as they could.

You could literally walk into a pharmacy and just ask for five packs. No details were taken.

One of my colleagues walked past a street stall handing them out the other day, they handed him two packs...no questions, no details taken.

Why is anyone surprised this has happened?

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:50 am
by Gfamily
But we can't give kids on free school meals over school holidays because...

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:17 pm
by badger
Gfamily wrote:
Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:22 am
We've got a couple of packs, but as we're not going anywhere at the moment, we've only used one test (Mrs G before going to a school event as a governor).

Would people report a negative result?
I don't usually (and sorry to anyone this offends). Am trying to test reasonably regularly our family of 4 (two primary age kids) and it's a real faff to report every result using unwieldy system of online reporting (and then receive texts and emails telling you your result is negative, which you've just told them). I know them knowing will help data-wise, but am happy that we're doing our bit by actually testing at all and the packs are actually getting used.

ETA - I don't think we've quite used 600 million though!

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:21 pm
by hakwright
I saw this "600m NHS home Covid tests unaccounted for" headline earlier, but have only just realised that they mean *results* from 600m tests are unaccounted for. I've got a good idea why there are a big chunk of missing results.

I've been going onsite to work regularly for many months, and since Feb-ish this year, we've been able to pick up lateral flow tests to be done twice a week. There were no instructions to upload test results, and I don't think any of the info provided with the tests would have allowed you to do that anyway.

So I've been doing two tests a week, but haven't shared the results anywhere. I suspect there are many thousands of people who've been doing the same for a few months, hence there's a big chunk of missing results.

We got an email at work a few days back saying the type of tests offered was about to change, and there would be a QR code that you can scan which I think allows you to provide results for the tests you take, so they can be accounted for.

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 12:48 pm
by Gfamily
On double checking - page 15 of the instruction leaflet says you should upload the test results, not making a distinction between whether negative or positive.

But, I suspect many people who are doing it multiple times a week aren't going to bother.

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:00 pm
by Grumble
I report mine because I might need to demonstrate to my employer that I’ve been doing it, but it’s such a faff. You have to answer loads of questions, as others have said, before logging your result. I can’t see a need for it to be so complex. There’s a QR code which only provides a number, why doesn’t it take me to a webpage where I can click positive or negative? Why do they need to know the reason for me taking the test and what sector my employer is in? We’ve literally all been asked to take them.

I have been collecting loyalty points off Yeo Valley yoghurts. They have a QR code inside the lid. I scan it and 10 points get added to my account automatically. Granted I have to consent to cookies to enable me to stay signed in, but it really is as easy as that.

Re: Cost of Track 'n' Trace

Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2021 6:32 pm
by shpalman
England’s Covid test and trace spending over £1m a day on consultants
... latest figures show that at the end of October it employed 1,230 consultants. Test and trace has average daily contractor rates of £1,100, potentially equating to £1,353,000 a day. The ratio of consultants to civil servants in NHS test and trace in September was 1:1, separate data shows, despite a target set a year ago to reduce the ratio to 60%.

At the same time, new contracts worth millions of pounds are still being awarded to private consultancy firms, the Guardian has found, despite repeated pledges to curb their use.

The test-and-trace system, [...] has a £37bn two-year budget that is equivalent to almost a fifth of the annual NHS England budget
The revelations come after a report by MPs concluded that test and trace had “not achieved its main objective” to enable people to return to a more normal way of life.
“While access to consultancies has provided NHST&T with the skills and capacity needed to build up the test-and-trace capacities quickly, it may not, as NHST&T recognised itself, be the best use of public money to rely on consultancies to deliver the services on an ongoing basis.”