England’s Covid test and trace relying on inexperienced and poorly trained staff

Exclusive: contact tracers say ‘target-driven’ culture puts them under huge pressure to achieve results England’s test and trace service is being sub-contracted to a myriad of private companies employing inexperienced contact tracers under pressure to meet targets, a Guardian investigation has found. Under a complex system, firms are being paid to carry out work under the government’s £22bn test and trace programme. Serco, the outsourcing firm, is being paid up to £400m for its work on test and trace, but it has subcontracted a bulk of contact tracing to 21 other companies. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/14/england-covid-test-and-trace-relying-on-inexperienced-and-poorly-trained-staff #nhs #health #society #uk_news