Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Uptake of NHST&T’s services by the public is variable, and some vulnerable groups are currently...
Conclusion
Uptake of NHST&T’s services by the public is variable, and some vulnerable groups are currently much less likely to engage with it. Only a minority of people experiencing COVID-19 symptoms get a test. Between 18% and 33% of people who experience COVID-19 symptoms report getting a test. Some groups, such as older people, men, and certain ethnic minorities, are much less likely to request tests. While it recognises that some groups of people are underrepresented in the testing programme, NHST&T’s test and trace data is not sufficiently robust to establish a baseline against which progress can be measured. The UKHSA is planning to establish a baseline data set against which the new organisation will prioritise its work and assess its impact in all areas of health protection. The NHS Covid-19 app has had some success in identifying and contacting those who need to self-isolate 6 Test and Trace update and sharing information. But there is a risk that people delete or switch it off to avoid self-isolating, reducing how effective it can be. The NAO reported that in late April around 16 million people had the app fully or partially enabled on their phone, but the Department is not able to provide us with more recent figures. Around 16% of people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and around 20% of their contacts, do not fully meet self-isolation requirements. The Department is working to improve the percentage of people who comply with self-isolation, including how it communicates that it is still important to get a test if someone has COVID-19 symptoms and removing the physical barriers to getting tested or to self-isolation. The Department has appointed a cross-government senior officer responsible for compliance with self-isolation. Recommendation: The Department and UKHSA should write to the Committee, by the end of November, setting out which groups are most underrepresented in its testing programme and what plans it has to drive up public engagement with NHST&T, w
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
agree with the Committee’s conclusion. The department assesses the value for money of all its investments. Value for money is evidenced and scrutinised at key approvals and assurance milestones and all programmes in the Government Major Programmes Portfolio must comply with HM Treasury’s Accounting Officer Assessments: guidance (2021). Programmes are also considered against the accounting officer tests where the programme is in breach, or potential breach, of the agreed performance, cost, and time envelope. 2.3 The department has a well-documented and embedded accounting officer assessment process, whereby assessments and their accompanying letters are generated by the relevant SRO, before being considered by the Director General Finance and finally decided on by the Permanent Secretary. All four standards - regularity, propriety, value for money, and feasibility - are carefully considered as part of this process. In considering value for money, all assessments are based on evidence and in line with HM Treasury guidance “…make the most plausible projection available”.1 2.4 To ensure continuous review and improvement of activities to drive value for money, the department will ensure that in the future, letters to the Committee contain more of the detailed evidence provided to the Permanent Secretary on which value for money is assessed. The Permanent Secretary writes annually to all SROs as a reminder of this obligation to the Accounting Officer and to ensure the transparency of this process and will do so again by 31 January 2022.