Test and trace reduces working hours over Christmas as England infections spike

Exclusive: ‘DHSC have not given us any reason for this reduction in service’

Test and trace workers have been told to cancel shifts over Christmas (REUTERS)

The government has asked England’s test and trace service to reduce its working hours during the Christmas holidays despite England seeing a sharp surge in positive infections.

According to the latest data on Wednesday almost 40,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 yet clinical staff working for the test and trace system have been told to cancel shifts ahead of a shortened working day.

There were 744 deaths reported across the UK on Wednesday as health secretary Matt Hancock revealed plans to extend the tier 4 restrictions to  Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire on Boxing Day.

In a Downing Street press conference Mr Hancock said tier 3 was not enough to control the new variant of the virus as the numbers of patients in hospital approach the levels seen back in April’s first wave.

In a message to staff seen by The Independent, NHS Professionals, which supplies clinical case workers to test and trace, told them: “We have been officially informed by Department of Health and Social Care that the NHS Test and Trace service will remain open during Christmas and New Year, providing and processing tests for those who need them and tracing contacts of positive cases.

“As a result of the new working hours, we will need to adjust shifts already booked over this period.”

Workers for the service, who advise positive patients and identify anyone they have been in contact with who is at risk of infection, normally work from 8am to 8.30pm.

But on Christmas Eve workers will finish at 5pm and 4pm on Christmas Day followed by 6pm on other days and 5pm on New Year’s Eve.

One worker said the move was “crazy” given the rise in cases.

They said there were already 18 unfilled shifts on Christmas Eve and 15 vacant shifts on Christmas Day, saying: “Add in reduced hours of service, with 37,000 cases on Tuesday, it is ludicrous.

“Lots of clinical case workers were booked to work eight to eight over these days but we were instructed to cancel these shifts.

“We are all worried that DHSC’s absurd decision to reduce the hours clinical staff are working over the festive period will result in cases not being contact traced. DHSC have not given us any reason for this reduction in service which is very concerning given the huge rises in cases we are seeing.”

Sarah Owen MP, member of the Commons Health Select Committee told The Independent: “We are clearly at another crunch point in the pandemic, the case numbers are rocketing and deaths rates continue to climb.

“Covid isn’t taking a break for Christmas, the NHS isn’t taking a break over Christmas and it is vital that test and trace services are there throughout this spike, so it makes no sense to reduce services when we need them the most. They should seriously think again.”

Earlier this month a report by the National Audit Office criticised the service run by Tory peer Baroness Dido Harding, saying it had repeatedly failed to meet targets despite a cost of more than £22bn.

NHS leaders have said an effective test and trace service was vital. Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the NHS needed “a test and trace system that is fully functioning and truly efficient.”

The Department of Health and Social Care was approached for comment.