HEALTH bosses say they are working with the government after a leaked report suggested that the track and trace system is failing to reach over 50 per cent of contacts named by infected residents across Blackburn with Darwen.

Author of the report Dominic Harrison has warned that the failing system is now ‘contributing to the increased risks of COVID-19’ across the borough - as parts of Blackburn face local lockdown if active cases continue to grow. 

According to the report, across the north west as a whole the track and trace system is reaching only 52 per cent of all close contacts with 56 per cent of contacts uncontactable in Blackburn with Darwen.

The Government’s website states that the track and trace system is supposed ‘help trace close recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for coronavirus and, if necessary, notify them that they must self-isolate at home to help stop the spread of the virus.’

Writing in the report, which has been seen my national newspaper the Independent, profesor Harrison said: “I have to advise you that I think that the structure, funding, operation and performance of the current test and trace system – in particular the contact tracing system element, is now contributing to the increased risks of Covid-19 in Blackburn with Darwen.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

 

He warned: “With larger numbers of contacts per case and only just over half of the contact tracing of confirmed cases completed, we are at significant risk of losing control of the capacity to manage this risk due to the failure of the contact tracing.”

He said the borough had the highest percentage of contacts per infected person in the country, meaning “a system failure to trace contacts quickly and comprehensively in this borough amplifies the risk of continued community transmission”.

The professor added: “I need an urgent response in order to mobilise the local capacity asap.”

 

Lancashire Telegraph:

Speaking about local capacity, the health boss went on to promote authority-level resources in the report, stating that increased success rates could be had from contact tracing on a local level. 

He said: “We can mobilise a local solution by asking our neighbourhood teams to pick up the contact tracing at local level where local knowledge would increase the success of tracing of these contacts. 

“We feel we would be able to do this both faster and more comprehensively and with more cultural insight.”

He added: “I will be doing all I can over the next few days to escalate this issue and seek urgent and immediate solutions – but with the vast majority of contract tracing capacity and investment now placed with remote private sector commissioned service providers, we will struggle to provide the local solution I have outlined.”

Addressing the issue on his Twitter page after the report surfaced over the weekend, he said: “Blackburn with Darwen council is working closely with the national test and trace system and Public Health England over this weekend to find more local solutions to the issues identified.”