Forum Topic

Test target achieved (not)

According to the Johnson government's own website..."84,806 tests on 4 May."Rather short of Hancock's 100,000 a day undertaking to the British people.

Ken Munn ● 2373d39 Comments

Don’t worry, they plan to keep us distracted with the new 200,000 target at the end of May.

Paul Scullion ● 2373d

Actually, they only reached their 100,000 a day target on 30 April (claimed 122,000) by the most "creative" of accounting.Basically the tally included 000's of self-test kits posted to peoples home on that date. That is, in order to qualify as a "test", the recipient did not actually have to have administered it, never mind done so correctly and returned it.Worse still, in their rush to get them posted out, some of them even lacked a return address label.I have tried to be understanding and patient over this whole epidemic, content to wait until after it's over before starting the Blame Game etc.But frankly, stunts like that are disgraceful and imo should lead to resignations (if not dismissals).

Richard Cathcart ● 2373d

Meanwhile UK residents continue to die like flies as the government refuses to enforce lockdown and citizens are out and about having a jolly good time jogging and cycling whilst accepting furlough pay. What fools do we have on parliament?

Steve Taylor ● 2373d

Oh Gawd! You'll start the Johnson and co. cheer leaders off yet again trying to persuade us that everything is really quite wonderful and we are led by a new Messiah.

Vanessa Smith ● 2373d

The current lot all lack experience, to say nothing of intelligence or the strength to stand up and speak the truth. If they resign or get sacked, where on earth could Johnson find anyone else? The barrel has been scraped.

Vivienne Cox ● 2373d

Spot on, Vivienne. It's all spin and deception: and an insult to our intelligence, as it has been from the start of it all.

Roger Talbot ● 2373d

I’m sure Jayne and Janice will clear it all up for us......We just need to believe.....

Stewart Jones ● 2373d

Just keep doing your sums 😉

Janice Evans ● 2373d

The ‘sums’ are are deaths.

Stewart Jones ● 2373d

DFTT

Alastair Banton ● 2373d

This is the fourth day in a row the govt hasn't met its 100,000 test target, even by its own definition.It's the the third day in a row the number has fallen. It now stands at 69,463.

Ken Munn ● 2373d

Yep you got it Alastair. Ignore the distraction. Don’t waste time or words.

Paul Campbell ● 2373d

At the current rate of progress (122000 to 69000 in 5 days) the government will have successfully stamped out any testing by 12th May

Guy Lambert ● 2373d

When some query any accusations of the government having lied to us, here are the facts. Indisputable facts. The stupid thing is, they set their own targets and still failed to meet them. Doh!

Beryl Wall ● 2373d

The old adage is underpromise and overperform. This was obviously not taught at Eton.

Ken Munn ● 2373d

..  and here I was OP Ken, fondly imagining you already knew that Eton's the lousiest school in the whole world..All the moron boys do there night and day is get buggered by the masters then bugger each other to oblivion.    They're all dumber than dumb thick as short planks spoilt toffs with sawdust brains.  Then, after they leave or get expelled they come away, marry a filthy rich girl whose daddy went to Harrow and get given posh jobs by friends of their posh parents – like joining the Tory party and running the country or spending their vast inheritance hunting foxes and seducing under-age country wenches...surely you knew all this Ken..if you weren't sure you only had to ask...

Stuart Kerr ● 2373d

Tests

Janice Evans ● 2373d

I'd like to congratulate young Wilfred Johnson on being admitted to Eton, his internship at Goldman Sachs, his presidency of the Oxford Union and his winning a safe Tory seat. Well done, young man,

Ken Munn ● 2373d

If you are discussing them could you include this app thing that's being tested and what of those who are unable to download an App, is moreworrying for many.

Janice Evans ● 2373d

Why is it that when they show the drive-through test centres there are staff waiting for customers but few if any people going for tests?  Is it that the booking system is crap or are people unable or not bothered to go for tests?  Why weren't the test centres set up within walking distance of hospitals?

Viv Griffiths ● 2372d

Viv, some are refusing to have them, why I don't know.

Janice Evans ● 2372d

Sorry tests was for Stewart, not deaths.

Janice Evans ● 2372d

"Why weren't the test centres set up within walking distance of hospitals?"Err. Because you need loads of space like Twickenham Stadium or the Ikea customer park etc. Where would you have proposed a test centre near West MiddX hospital? On the green grass playing fields at the Green School perhaps?

Steve Taylor ● 2372d

TBH, I am more concerned about the government's failure to reduce deaths than not meeting Testing Targets.  The test centers seem to be pretty empty with lots of staff just standing around but we have the highest deaths per capita in the world. It is scandalous that this government hasn't enforced a lock-down to prevent the spread of the virus.

Steve Taylor ● 2372d

Viv you make a good point. 54% of households in London own a car. So the current test centre scheme excludes 46% of households. Strong testing and tracing appears to be a key determining factor for countries who have had the most success in controlling the virus and flattening the curves. Have those countries made testing dependent on car ownership?

Paul Campbell ● 2372d

Apparently some key workers booking tests around here are being sent to Brighton - as the Twickenham MP is asking - why when the huge stadium test centre is on our doorstep?(A small thing - the green grass fields are actually Isleworth & Syon's)

Vanessa Smith ● 2372d

Chatting to pals who are entitled to a test, only have to go a mile and yes have a car, they said they are well and don’t want to waste a test as they don’t need one. Capacity it there but people not using them????? We are not entitled, feel well but if we were entitled  we would go.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2372d

From 'Private Eye' 'Contract Tracing':Matt Hancock's pledege that he would be 'really starting contact tracing' by 'hiring an initial 18,000 people' and 'training up the mass ranks of our contact tracers', sounded like the UK was about to follow the successful test-and-trace route against Covid-19 followed elsewhere. 'But in a letter to the 13 regional directors of public health, Public health England said only 3,000 of Hancock's 18,000 contact tracers would be 'qualified public health  and clinical professionals'. The rest will be 'call handlers' from an ' external logistics partner'.'The NHS will not directly hire those 15,000 people, instead handing out call centre contracts to companies like Serco. Agencies advertising for contact tracers posts are offering minimum wage (£8.72 an hour) and asking for staff with experience of  'telephone or face to face customer services' who are 'passionate' about 'delivering an outstanding customer experience'.Other countries are using personnel from libraries, civil service and the army cadets to supplement their contact tracing teams.'Public Health England had only 300 contact tracers at the time the approach was abandoned in mid-March, and it didn't mobilise the 5,000 or so local authority environmental health experts who already have contact tracing experience. Hancock's antipathy to local government and enthusiasm for contracting out, as well as for unproven tech solutions - his scheme relies on untested mobile phone apps to trace contacts digitally - means the UK is again out on a limb'.

Vanessa Smith ● 2372d

This government is determined to give huge contracts to the private sector.  The mass testing stations are run by Delloite, Sodexho and Boots and are so inefficient I gather some hospitals are discouraging their staff from using them. Other contracts have been given to the likes of G4S, who failed to deliver security at the Olympics, and I think Serco is going to run the tracking and tracing from call centres rather than using the experienced teams that local authorities already have. Similarly, KPMG was paid to manage the construction of the Nightingale field hospitals, and so it goes on, with money no object when it goes to the private sector. NHS privatisation by stealth?

Peter Evans ● 2372d

PE: "NHS privatisation by stealth?"If there is one good thing to come out of this whole sorry episode, it is that NO government would ever dare try to privatise the NHS after this, whether by stealth or otherwise.It would be political suicide.

Richard Cathcart ● 2372d

I'd like to think you were right - BUT - see my post about the 'contact tracing' (13.55)- they are again handing out contracts to the private sector instead of using professional public sector employees with proven experience of this. Tories - they know the cost of everything and the  value of nothing. Don't let the mealy-mouthed, sanctimonious hypocritical praise of the NHS fool you, making money and keeping their party donors happy always trumps everything else.

Vanessa Smith ● 2372d

No.  If it's a walk-in centre the there would be no need for vehicle access and a couple of tents set up anywhere within walking distance to the hospital would make access to testing easy for the NHS staff and hospital workers.

Viv Griffiths ● 2372d

Our figures are awful but we haven't got  the highest deaths per capita in the world.  Belgium, Andorra, Spain and Italy have declared more deaths per million population.  All the reported figures are pretty unreliable anyway as it will only be in retrospect when 'excess deaths' are calculated that the situation will become clear.  The UK has an average of c.600,000 deaths in a normal year.

Viv Griffiths ● 2372d

Sounds like Hancock is being economical with the truth, again.

Ken Munn ● 2372d

There were 69,463 tests on 5 May.Source:Gov.UK

Ken Munn ● 2372d

OK, if you say so.

Richard Cathcart ● 2372d

You almost seem happy Ken announcing any latest figures

Paul Fisher ● 2372d

The reasons for highlighting day to day test numbers after the government & Hancock's "success" in "achieving" their 100,000 target are:1) They proudly proclaimed that they had been successful, when in fact they had not. Even if the 122,000 number was correct then it was never about a one off achievement. It was to set a level of 100k of tests every day. Their deceitfulness continues with each day that 100k is not achieved. This is worth noting.2) If there was a logic and scientific basis for this 100k target then surely it is really, really worth achieving or beating this goal? I note that in France they worked out the capacity of daily tests required based on number of cases, number of contacts per case, etc. in order to apply track and trace science. There is a logic not just a number. If the UK number has a logic then why is it acceptable to not achieve that target, each day so far in May? That is worth highlighting.3) It seems likely that to get to the 84,000 tests done on 30 April the government had to throw everything at this task. A likely consequence of this is that for the next few days the numbers will be significantly lower. So its worth noting the numbers to confirm that the 30 April was a panic effort and not normal levels of testing.

Alan Clark ● 2372d

Thank you Alan. When a government commits to something, then fails to deliver, we shouldn't be shy about pointing it out.There were 86,583 tests on 6 May.

Ken Munn ● 2372d