Recommendation 6

UKHSA has still not set out how it would like to work with local authorities, leaving them little time to plan for the new approach. The UKHSA was announced in March 2021 and is expected to be in place by the end of October 2021. However, NHST&T has still not finalised the operating model for the new organisation, meaning local authorities will have less than three months to plan for new arrangements. Local authorities play a vital and crucial role in public health, including in the response to COVID-19. We have previously criticised NHST&T for not properly engaging with important stakeholders, including local bodies. NHST&T has made progress in its relationship with local authorities and the UKHSA has committed to co-designing its new operating model with local stakeholders. At present, tracing often falls to the staff of local bodies and the additional time and effort this requires puts a strain on already stretched resources and may not be sustainable longer term. Our report earlier this year, on COVID-19 local government finance, highlighted how the pandemic had caused sudden and severe drops in local authorities’ income, whilst at the same time creating additional financial pressures from the need to deliver new services and increased costs and demand for existing services. 8 Test and Trace update Recommendation: The Department and UKHSA must urgently provide clarity to local government and other stakeholders about the future operating model. As part of this, it should ensure local authorities and other stakeholders have the resources to deliver their parts of the process. It should write to the Committee to provide an update on progress by the end of November 2021. Test and Trace update 9 1 Breaking the chains of COVID-19 transmission