The UK government`s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been subject to intense scrutiny, particularly with regards to the country`s test and trace system. In May 2020, it was announced that a private sector consortium led by outsourcing company Serco had been awarded a £108m contract to run the England and Wales contact tracing service. This decision proved controversial, not least because the contract was awarded without competition.
Critics argued that the government was relying too heavily on the private sector, particularly given the mixed track record of companies like Serco and the high cost of their services. There were also concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the contract award process, with questions raised about possible conflicts of interest.
Despite these criticisms, the government defended its decision to award the contract to Serco, citing the company`s experience in providing public services and their ability to rapidly scale up their contact tracing operation. Serco themselves have been bullish about their work on the test and trace system, claiming that they have successfully contacted over 95% of all close contacts identified by the service.
Nevertheless, the test and trace system has faced significant challenges since its launch, with reports of delays, bureaucratic errors, and a lack of coordination between different parts of the service. These issues have been compounded by technical problems with the NHS contact tracing app, which was originally meant to be a key part of the service but has been beset by delays and functionality issues.
Overall, the test and trace system has proven to be a difficult and complex operation, and the decision to award the contract to Serco remains controversial. It remains to be seen whether the system can be made effective in the face of ongoing challenges and criticism.