Coronavirus: Government condemned by health experts for ‘shambolic’ testing system as fury mounts over failings
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: Government condemned by health experts for ‘shambolic’ testing system as fury mounts over failings

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government’s national testing system has been condemned as “shambolic” by public health experts, who argue that the UK “missed a great opportunity” to suppress the prevalence of Covid-19 as a result of the service’s shortcomings. “The testing system is clearly dysfunctional,” Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Independent. “It has to be locally based, around local authorities, the local directors of public health, the local NHS and local communities – that's where resources should be going,” he told The Independent. Authorities in Blackburn and Manchester have enjoyed some success in centralising the testing system under a local network, Prof McKee explained, but “they’ve had to fight very hard to get a seat at the table”.

Health London Public Health Independent Local Test Testing Public System Health Check Health Experts  test  local  told  mounts  shambolic  zero  system  failings  health  condemned  public  fury  trace  coronavirus  experts  testing  london

History of this topic

World-first warning system launched in UK in bid to stop future pandemics
1 month, 3 weeks ago

World-first warning system launched in UK in bid to stop future pandemics

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A world-first genetic warning system to stop future pandemics has been …

Government’s ‘fatal strategic flaws’ in Covid planning led to avoidable deaths and economic pain
8 months, 1 week ago

Government’s ‘fatal strategic flaws’ in Covid planning led to avoidable deaths and economic pain

The Independent  

Mass deaths and economic pain during the Covid-19 pandemic were driven by “fatal flaws” in planning by the government, civil servants and scientists who prepared for the “wrong pandemic”, a public inquiry has found. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry, chaired by Heather Hallett, published its first report on Thursday, focusing on the UK’s pandemic “preparedness and resilience”. The 217-page report said …

Lockdown ‘would have been much later’ without decision to test in hospitals
1 year, 3 months ago

Lockdown ‘would have been much later’ without decision to test in hospitals

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. we prioritised the testing and the prioritisation of the testing is exactly the same …

Continue COVID-19 testing to check emergence of new virus variants: WHO chief
1 year, 7 months ago

Continue COVID-19 testing to check emergence of new virus variants: WHO chief

The Hindu  

Warning that many countries aren’t testing enough and that new SARS-CoV-2 virus variants may emerge, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, on Wednesday said that testing and being vigilant is vital in continuing the fight against COVID-19. “While COVID is now behind us and India did its best during the time, we can expect new and more …

Agency responsible for Test and Trace programme scolded for accounting failings
2 years, 1 month ago

Agency responsible for Test and Trace programme scolded for accounting failings

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It is astonishing and unacceptable that the UK Health Security Agency – an agency …

UK ‘blind’ to new immune evasive Covid variants creating ‘perfect storm’ for devastating wave
2 years, 5 months ago

UK ‘blind’ to new immune evasive Covid variants creating ‘perfect storm’ for devastating wave

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It looks like we’re in the start of the next wave and this time it’s …

‘Brutal’ NHS pressures stop Covid testing
2 years, 11 months ago

‘Brutal’ NHS pressures stop Covid testing

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Overstretched hospitals are stopping routine Covid tests for new patients as …

Free coronavirus testing ends for millions of people in England
2 years, 11 months ago

Free coronavirus testing ends for millions of people in England

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Free coronavirus testing has ended for millions of people in …

Scientists fear U.K. is easing coronavirus testing and monitoring too soon
3 years ago

Scientists fear U.K. is easing coronavirus testing and monitoring too soon

LA Times  

A lab assistant points at charts of a sequenced coronavirus sample at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in England. Britain is now ending some testing and monitoring programs, a move some scientists fear will complicate efforts to track the virus and detect worrisome new variants. After dropping nearly all coronavirus restrictions last month, Britain is now ending some of its most …

WHO leader ‘very concerned’ over the UK’s dismantling of Covid testing
3 years ago

WHO leader ‘very concerned’ over the UK’s dismantling of Covid testing

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Anil Soni, chief executive of the WHO Foundation, …

At long last, WHO issues coronavirus testing advice
3 years ago

At long last, WHO issues coronavirus testing advice

LA Times  

A woman is tested for a coronavirus infection at the Lenasia South Hospital near Johannesburg in South Africa. The advice comes months after critics said the lack of recommendations from the global health agency was compromising efforts to stop the pandemic in poor countries. At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was concerned …

'Learn to live with this virus': Boris Johnson scraps Covid restrictions in UK
3 years, 1 month ago

'Learn to live with this virus': Boris Johnson scraps Covid restrictions in UK

India Today  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said he would end all coronavirus restrictions in England including mandatory self-isolation for people with Covid-19 and free testing, drawing scepticism from some scientists and political opponents. Johnson said that the legal requirement to self-isolate for people who test positive for Covid would be removed on Feb. 24 while free universal testing would …

Boris Johnson says scrapping Covid isolation requirements is ‘moment of pride’
3 years, 1 month ago

Boris Johnson says scrapping Covid isolation requirements is ‘moment of pride’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson has …

Covid: 800,000 clinically vulnerable people may have missed support, MPs say
3 years, 11 months ago

Covid: 800,000 clinically vulnerable people may have missed support, MPs say

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Poor data may have resulted in 800,000 clinically vulnerable people losing …

Britain eyes mass coronavirus testing as it takes next steps out of lockdown
3 years, 11 months ago

Britain eyes mass coronavirus testing as it takes next steps out of lockdown

LA Times  

People jog past the National COVID Memorial Wall on the south bank of the Thames opposite the House of Parliament in London on Sunday. All adults and children in England will be able to have routine coronavirus tests twice a week as a way to stamp out new outbreaks, the British government said Monday, as it prepared to announce the …

Start preparing for next pandemic now, experts warn Boris Johnson
4 years ago

Start preparing for next pandemic now, experts warn Boris Johnson

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “You pay the consequences.” Sir Mark said: “Not much funding has been moved into local …

Coronavirus UK update: Latest news and cases today as London becomes UK’s Covid hotspot
4 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus UK update: Latest news and cases today as London becomes UK’s Covid hotspot

The Independent  

✕ Close Covid: New variant found in UK from South Africa Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy …

People from UK Being Rigorously Traced; Situation Under Control in Delhi: Health Minister Jain
4 years, 3 months ago

People from UK Being Rigorously Traced; Situation Under Control in Delhi: Health Minister Jain

News 18  

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said people who have arrived here from the UK are being rigorously traced and tested for any COVID-19-like symptoms. People who have arrived here from the UK in the last several days are being rigorously traced and tested for slightest of COVID-like symptoms," Jain said. Delhi has fought difficult battles with COVID-19 and …

New coronavirus strain: What did the government know?
4 years, 3 months ago

New coronavirus strain: What did the government know?

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government was only informed of the severity of the …

Will the US ever have a national Covid-19 testing strategy?
4 years, 3 months ago

Will the US ever have a national Covid-19 testing strategy?

Hindustan Times  

As the coronavirus epidemic worsens, US health experts hope Joe Biden’s administration will put in place something Donald Trump’s has not — a comprehensive national testing strategy. “If we’d had a more robust approach and testing was scaled up as one of the tools, I think much of this third surge would would have been avoidable,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, …

Will the US ever have a national COVID-19 testing strategy?
4 years, 3 months ago

Will the US ever have a national COVID-19 testing strategy?

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — As the coronavirus epidemic worsens, U.S. health experts hope Joe Biden’s administration will put in place something Donald Trump’s has not — a comprehensive national testing strategy. “If we’d had a more robust approach and testing was scaled up as one of the tools, I think much of this third surge would have been avoidable,” said Dr. …

UK testing error wrongly tells 1,300 people they have coronavirus
4 years, 3 months ago

UK testing error wrongly tells 1,300 people they have coronavirus

India Today  

Over 1,300 people in Britain were inaccurately informed they were infected with coronavirus after a laboratory error at the government’s NHS Test and Trace system, the Department of Health and Social Care told Reuters on Saturday. “NHS Test and Trace has contacted 1,311 individuals who were incorrectly told that the result of COVID-19 tests, taken between Nov. 19 and Nov. …

Coronavirus UK: Rapid test trials miss over 50% of positive cases
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus UK: Rapid test trials miss over 50% of positive cases

Daily Mail  

WHAT IS OPERATION MOONSHOT AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN LIVERPOOL? But residents have today complained to MailOnline that asymptomatic and symptomatic people were not segregated as they queued at testing centres for their swab, potentially opening the door for the coronavirus to sp Photographer David Colbran, 51, said: 'It's a shambles, we booked an appointment to have a test …

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’: Boris Johnson holds out hope of normal Christmas but admits flaws in Covid testing system
4 years, 4 months ago

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’: Boris Johnson holds out hope of normal Christmas but admits flaws in Covid testing system

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It has come in for a lot of criticism and clearly it has taken too …

Covid: Liverpool pilot scheme may be flawed as accuracy of new tests remains unknown
4 years, 4 months ago

Covid: Liverpool pilot scheme may be flawed as accuracy of new tests remains unknown

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have warned the government’s multi-million-pound plan to mass test …

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson under fire for claiming UK ‘has a system of mass testing’ when trial yet to start
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson under fire for claiming UK ‘has a system of mass testing’ when trial yet to start

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Health experts have criticised Boris Johnson for claiming the UK “now …

Coronavirus: New rapid tests to be trialled in Liverpool are 99.9% accurate, says government scientist
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus: New rapid tests to be trialled in Liverpool are 99.9% accurate, says government scientist

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The new rapid coronavirus test set to be trialled across the …

Coronavirus: Battle with disease could be over as early as the spring, Boris Johnson claims
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus: Battle with disease could be over as early as the spring, Boris Johnson claims

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the PM had shown a “catastrophic failure of …

Coronavirus: Test and trace hampered because people don’t like answering unknown calls, NHS adviser suggests
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace hampered because people don’t like answering unknown calls, NHS adviser suggests

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The nation’s test and trace system could be being hampered due …

Coronavirus: Test and trace workers report new problems with troubled service
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace workers report new problems with troubled service

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As the test and trace service battles a surge in daily positive test results, workers …

Immunity to Covid-19 wanes, British study finds
4 years, 5 months ago

Immunity to Covid-19 wanes, British study finds

CNN  

CNN — A study of hundreds of thousands of people across England suggests immunity to the coronavirus is gradually wearing off - at least according to one measure. “This is consistent with evidence that immunity to seasonal coronaviruses declines over 6 to 12 months after infection and emerging data on SARS-CoV-2 that also detected a decrease over time in antibody …

UK tests sewage to provide early warning for COVID-19 spread
4 years, 5 months ago

UK tests sewage to provide early warning for COVID-19 spread

India TV News  

Taking a step further to control the spread of coronavirus infection, the United Kingdom government is working on detecting traces of COVID-19 virus in sewage to provide an early warning for local outbreaks. “Monitoring and sampling wastewater offer another tool to help us identify outbreaks early on – helping NHS Test and Trace and local authorities target hotspots quickly and …

Coronavirus: Test and trace forced to bring in untrained workers as system is overwhelmed by second wave, leaked email reveals
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace forced to bring in untrained workers as system is overwhelmed by second wave, leaked email reveals

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy England’s test and trace service is being forced to draft in …

Coronavirus: WHO urges UK to move to local contact tracing system
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: WHO urges UK to move to local contact tracing system

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The World Health Organisation has joined the chorus of experts urging …

Coronavirus: Michael Gove defends £7,000 day rate for some Test and Trace consultants
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Michael Gove defends £7,000 day rate for some Test and Trace consultants

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Asked about the spend on Saturday on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Gove said: …

Why the Test and Trace system is failing
4 years, 5 months ago

Why the Test and Trace system is failing

The Telegraph  

It was sold to the country as a vital line of defence against Covid-19 – a state-of-the-art operation to stop the virus before it had a chance to spread. Ministers promised that the new £12 billion NHS Test and Trace programme would keep the virus at bay over the winter, allowing people to carry on their daily lives without fear …

Coronavirus: Health and safety breaches at testing lab
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Health and safety breaches at testing lab

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy One of the UK’s coronavirus mega-labs has breached health and safety …

Coronavirus: Test and trace system ‘rendered ineffective’ by rate of infections, government scientific advisers believe
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace system ‘rendered ineffective’ by rate of infections, government scientific advisers believe

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Surging coronavirus …

Coronavirus: Under-fire test and trace system is envy of the world, Matt Hancock claims
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Under-fire test and trace system is envy of the world, Matt Hancock claims

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We don’t get it when I talk to my international …

Government’s test and trace system having ‘marginal’ impact and must grow at ‘same rate as epidemic’, Sage warns
4 years, 5 months ago

Government’s test and trace system having ‘marginal’ impact and must grow at ‘same rate as epidemic’, Sage warns

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government’s test-and-trace system is only having a “marginal impact” on …

Problem at Roche warehouse raises fears over UK COVID tests
4 years, 5 months ago

Problem at Roche warehouse raises fears over UK COVID tests

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche said …

Coronavirus: 'Worrying' questions remain after technical error blamed by PHE for 15,000 missing cases, expert says
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: 'Worrying' questions remain after technical error blamed by PHE for 15,000 missing cases, expert says

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The explanation prompted concern that additional cases may remain overlooked, with one expert comparing the …

Coronavirus news you may have missed overnight: Only half of people with missing positive tests reached for contacts
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus news you may have missed overnight: Only half of people with missing positive tests reached for contacts

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Only half of people with missing positive tests reached for contacts The chaos over the …

Without a functioning test and trace system, Britain is poorly defended – why can’t this government get it right?
4 years, 5 months ago

Without a functioning test and trace system, Britain is poorly defended – why can’t this government get it right?

The Independent  

When will Britain have a test and trace system that works? A system that doesn’t rely on old-fashioned spreadsheets, one that doesn’t cost taxpayers £12bn in payments to private contractors, without penalties for failure, and one where those in charge, such as Baroness Dido Harding, are held publicly accountable for its poor performance? Never mind the home secretary telling the …

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says crisis will remain 'bumpy until Christmas and possibly beyond'
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says crisis will remain 'bumpy until Christmas and possibly beyond'

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “This could be a very tough winter for all of us – we’ve got to …

Coronavirus: UK sees 23,000 new cases following computer glitch, as leaked document hints at return of lockdown
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: UK sees 23,000 new cases following computer glitch, as leaked document hints at return of lockdown

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK set another daily record of nearly 23,000 new coronavirus …

Boris Johnson blames rising coronavirus infection rate on UK’s ‘fraying discipline’
4 years, 5 months ago

Boris Johnson blames rising coronavirus infection rate on UK’s ‘fraying discipline’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson has blamed the recent rise in coronavirus infections on …

Coronavirus: Ex-Sainsbury’s boss to join beleaguered Test and Trace service as NHS chief returns to trust
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Ex-Sainsbury’s boss to join beleaguered Test and Trace service as NHS chief returns to trust

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The former chief executive of Sainsbury's is set to take over …

Coronavirus: ‘Extraordinary’ flaw leaves NHS app unable to process tens of thousands of test results
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: ‘Extraordinary’ flaw leaves NHS app unable to process tens of thousands of test results

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The results are meant to be used to enable the app to carry out contact …

Coronavirus: Tens of thousands ‘wrongly given’ all clear by Lighthouse laboratories
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: Tens of thousands ‘wrongly given’ all clear by Lighthouse laboratories

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tens of thousands of people infected with coronavirus were incorrectly given …

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