Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
As we hope for longer-term and sustained reductions in infection levels, the Department needs to...
Conclusion
As we hope for longer-term and sustained reductions in infection levels, the Department needs to think about the future shape of national test and trace services, and how it will secure lasting benefits from its spending. NHST&T will be part of the newly formed National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP). However, the Department has not set out the details or timetable for the establishment of NIHP, scheduled for April 2021. In allocating additional funds to NHST&T, the 2020 Spending Review outlined that this funding will be subject to review as the vaccine programme is rolled out. The Government is now accelerating the roll-out of vaccines across the country, but we have not seen a future strategy for test and trace in response. NHST&T anticipates a continuing need for large-scale testing and tracing alongside the vaccine programme and the Department says it still needs to think through how best to wind down capacity at the appropriate time. The Department and NHST&T talk about leaving a legacy for the NHS through the vast investment in testing capacity, but they have not articulated even at a high level what this will be. We challenged NHST&T whether large testing centres were 8 COVID-19: Test, track and trace (part 1) the best way forward for the NHS, compared to having more testing capacity in local hospitals. NHST&T explained “there is not a single model” and that it is yet to “work through how it should evolve in a post-COVID world”. Recommendation: Within the next six to nine months, the Department should outline publicly its future strategy for testing and tracing services in England, including: • its timetable for transitioning to the new National Institute for Health Protection, • its exit strategy when infection levels reduce, including downscaling, mothballing and reallocating national and local capacity; • how it will cost-effectively maintain a degree of readiness for future surges of COVID-19 and other influenza-like infections; and • how it will
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: November 2021 6.2 Since its creation in May 2020, NHST&T has set out in periodically updated business plans its strategy for testing and tracing services to respond to the changing stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. 6.3 The business plans published in July 2020 and December 2020 can be found at these links: • Developing NHS Test and Trace: business plan, DHSC, July 2020 • NHS Test and Trace business plan, DHSC, December 2020 6.4 In February 2021, the government published its roadmap out of lockdown. This included a strategy for the Test, Trace and Isolate system to help support the easing of social and economic restrictions and keep people safe. NHST&T works in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), the NHS, local authorities, businesses, schools, universities and others to deliver these services. 6.5 In August 2020, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced plans to establish a new national organisation for health protection – now named the UK Health Security Agency – and a series of reforms to strengthen the wider public health landscape. Since then, NHST&T, including the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), and Public Health England have been working together under new leadership arrangements and moving towards a shared operating model on both the COVID-19 response and designing the new organisation with the Department of Health and Social Care. 6.6 The UK Health Security Agency is being formally established in spring 2021 under its new Chair and Chief Executive, and staff and systems will transfer into the new organisation over the following months. PHE and NHST&T have jointly developed plans to support the government’s roadmap out of lockdown between April and June 2021. Longer term plans are being considered and will be finalised with the new Chair and Chief Executive before publication.