FIGURES have shown NHS Test and Trace is failing to reach adequate numbers of people who may be ill in places with the highest infection rates.

The Government has pledged to publish regional data but has not done so yet.

While Bradford Council said its data-sharing agreement with the Government means its figures on how many people have been traced cannot be shared, it confirmed there is a “high number” of contacts not being pursued through the national tracing system. 

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe told the Telegraph & Argus: “There is a high number of contacts which are not able to be traced through the national tracing system in Bradford district.

“We understand this is not unusual and other places are seeing the same kind of statistics. 

“With this in mind, we are asking Government to allow us to set up a local extension to the national test and trace system which would enable us to follow-up uncontacted data with door-to-door visits, something which no national system can really do.” 

Neighbouring Kirklees Council confirmed that 77 per cent of close contacts in its area had been traced in the most recent data.

This is below the 80 per cent the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) says need to be contacted within 48 hours if the system is to work.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 

“NHS Test and Trace has already helped test and isolate just under 200,000 cases - helping us control the spread of the virus, prevent a second wave and save lives. This represents 77.1% of close contacts identified by those who test positive.

“The service is working closely with local authorities across England to help manage local outbreaks. High quality data is critical to providing good public services and we’ve been providing increasingly detailed data to local directors of public health, helping them tackle local outbreaks and control this virus."

Bradford remains among the local authorities in the country with the highest infection rates.

Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “This is a good reminder for people that things are not going back to normal.  The infection is still out there, it’s still high, higher than many other places.  

“People need to look after themselves and each other by staying apart to avoid getting the virus. We welcome the active dialogue we have with Government to get the resources we need to ramp up activity.

“We’re in the top ten in the country for the amount of testing we are doing but we want to do more. We’re part of a national pilot testing asymptomatic frontline workers and if this is successful we’d like to expand this further. 

“We’ve asked the Government for our own mobile testing units, more environmental health officers, support to pay full wages to low-paid workers having to self-isolate, and funding to develop our own local test-and-trace system.

“We are constantly reviewing our actions and will do what it takes to make our communities safe.”

Professor John Wright, an epidemiologist based at the BRI, said while admissions are falling, community testing is picking up lots of positive cases, particularly among young people and those in work.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “NHS Test and Trace has already helped test and isolate just under 200,000 cases - helping us control the spread of the virus, prevent a second wave and save lives. This represents 77.1% of close contacts identified by those who test positive.

“The service is working closely with local authorities across England to help manage local outbreaks. High quality data is critical to providing good public services and we’ve been providing increasingly detailed data to local directors of public health, helping them tackle local outbreaks and control this virus."