£37 billion - the cost of failed test and trace

[SirGalahad]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...-test-trace-dido-harding-report-b1814714.html

Dido Harding’s test and trace system has swallowed up “unimaginable” amounts of taxpayers’ money with no evidence of any measurable difference on the progress of the coronavirus pandemic, a scathing report by a Westminster spending watchdog has found.

The report said NHS test and trace must “wean itself off” its reliance on private-sector consultants, after figures showed it was still employing around 2,500 in early February on an estimated daily rate of £1,100 a head – with the highest-paid individual costing taxpayers £6,624 a day.



Open up your wallets.

 

[EddieM]

Unfortunately almost all countries test and trace systems, assume were talking about the proximity app thing here, have been ineffective. The take up rates for the apps were far too low in most countries for it to be effective, even if the technology itself worked.

 

[ellal]

The usual corrupt practices...

But those who question such practices are labelled as 'conspiracy theorists'...

The truth will out, but no heads will roll and the taxpayer always coughs up...

Because a large part of the electorate have been so 'dumbed down' that they don't have the intelligence to even work out what the question is!

 

[ellal]

Unfortunately almost all countries test and trace systems, assume were talking about the proximity app thing here, have been ineffective. The take up rates for the apps were far too low in most countries for it to be effective, even if the technology itself worked.

So what was the point in the first place?

I guess pouring public money into private pockets for something that wouldn't work in practice is just another 'conspiracy theory'?

 

[motorbiking]

It would appear to be human nature to avoid being locked up as a result of a positive test.

it’s probably time to wind these things down, but personally won’t blame the government for trying out ideas at a time when nobody knew what to do.

 

[SirGalahad]

Unfortunately almost all countries test and trace systems, assume were talking about the proximity app thing here, have been ineffective. The take up rates for the apps were far too low in most countries for it to be effective, even if the technology itself worked.

From NAO report.

NHST&T has an unusual organisational relationship with the Department, with unclear accountability. NHST&T is subject to the Department’s financial, information and staffing controls, but its head, the executive chair, does not report to the Department’s ministers or permanent secretary, but rather to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary.

So this is squarely Bojo responsibility but somehow he will escape accountability again.

 

[SirGalahad]

It would appear to be human nature to avoid being locked up as a result of a positive test.

it’s probably time to wind these things down, but personally won’t blame the government for trying out ideas at a time when nobody knew what to do.

Lol. Might as well try build a starship to Jupiter - don't criticise us for ambition. That's a feeble excuse.

 

[EddieM]

From NAO report.

NHST&T has an unusual organisational relationship with the Department, with unclear accountability. NHST&T is subject to the Department’s financial, information and staffing controls, but its head, the executive chair, does not report to the Department’s ministers or permanent secretary, but rather to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary.

So this is squarely Bojo responsibility but somehow he will escape accountability again.

I'm not arguing against the cost or the accountability, or lack thereof, merely pointing out if it had cost 50p it would still have been ineffective.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

One could assume that a "world-beating system" would have had some effectiveness.

 

[sxturbo]

they managed to narrow down the 6x brazilian virus infections relatively quickly.

there job was also made difficult by people not registering full information.

I know of people that said if they had symptoms they would not go for a covid test unless they were almost on their death bed because they wouldnt get paid if they had time off, and people would remove or not even bother with the NHS tracking app also for this reason, ignorance being bliss and all that.

a lot of the ineffectiveness was caused by lack of take up and lack of it being put into law, it's all voluntary with little comeback. it wasnt just a lack of clear direction or inaction by government for it's failure.

i'm not sure of how it fares when compared to other countries track and trace systems, i know its not as good as china and koreas systems, but they had a much more strict and draconian method of ensuring people stuck to the rules.

 

[ellal]

The take up rates for the apps were far too low in most countries for it to be effective, even if the technology itself worked.

And therein lies the problem...

How can an app be effective if the take up rate is ineffective?

Thus the app itself is faulty!

And yet tens of billions have been spaffed up the wall...

Who benefits?

 

[durhamplumber]

And therein lies the problem...

How can an app be effective if the take up rate is ineffective?

Thus the app itself is faulty!

And yet tens of billions have been spaffed up the wall...

Who benefits?

It is not the govts fault if awkward misconformist people like you take every opportunity to throw a spanner in the works.

 

[ellal]

It is not the govts fault if awkward misconformist people like you take every opportunity to throw a spanner in the works.

Having a problem with the truth are we?

Baah!

 

[SirGalahad]

I'm not arguing against the cost or the accountability, or lack thereof, merely pointing out if it had cost 50p it would still have been ineffective.

The Government really should build up it's own IT capacity as it gets flee

they managed to narrow down the 6x brazilian virus infections relatively quickly.

there job was also made difficult by people not registering full information.

I know of people that said if they had symptoms they would not go for a covid test unless they were almost on their death bed because they wouldnt get paid if they had time off, and people would remove or not even bother with the NHS tracking app also for this reason, ignorance being bliss and all that.

a lot of the ineffectiveness was caused by lack of take up and lack of it being put into law, it's all voluntary with little comeback. it wasnt just a lack of clear direction or inaction by government for it's failure.

i'm not sure of how it fares when compared to other countries track and trace systems, i know its not as good as china and koreas systems, but they had a much more strict and draconian method of ensuring people stuck to the rules.

They had a list of people who had been recently abroad and had filled in passenger locator forms. It was simply a question of calling people and following up. Not rocket science and just a man power issue - not something £37bn is required for.

If this is the level of acceptance then the bar is set very very low.

The three cases in Scotland were all oil workers who were returning to their families from Brazil, via Paris and London. Health officials have been trying to trace all the passengers who were on their flight from Heathrow to Aberdeen.

In England, two of the cases are from the same household in South Gloucestershire who tested positive after someone returned from Brazil on 10 February.

The third case in England - now confirmed to be in Croydon - was unknown for several days after he or she failed to register their test properly.

Dr Hopkins said the person was finally identified when they called the NHS 111 number, after officials had spent days contacting potential households.

The person lived in a household that had recently returned from Brazil and all of them had quarantined at home, she added.

 

[EddieM]

And therein lies the problem...

How can an app be effective if the take up rate is ineffective?

Thus the app itself is faulty!

And yet tens of billions have been spaffed up the wall...

Who benefits?

I suppose it's not been tried before, as something that wasn't mandatory it would have been difficult to predict the take up rate, but the same has applied to most if not all countries where it's not been effectively mandatory.