If We Want The Test, Trace And Isolate System To Be Given A Running Start, Government Needs To Get Staff In Now. People Are Very Nervous About Their Ability To Make It Happen

Politicians blast SNP over taking so long to hire vital Covid-19 contact tracers

- John Ferguson

The Scottish Government has failed to hire a single Covid-19 contact tracer to help stop the spread of the virus.

The test, trace and isolate (TTI) programme is vital to the Government’s plan to end lockdown and restart the economy.

Almost 8500 people have applied online for the 2000 roles as call handlers, data analysts and health protection nurses.

But the Sunday Mail can reveal that the new Contact Tracing Team has yet to take on a single staff member.

Recruiters were offered the services of skilled volunteers from St Andrew’s First Aid charity but failed to respond for eight days.

When they eventually did, its chief executive Stuart Callison was told to apply using the same email provided to the general public.

Furious opposition parties accused the Government of dithering over the vital strategy, despite the country being nine weeks into the crisis.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: “The clock is ticking – the SNP must not drag its feet.”

Scottish Greens MSP Alison Johnstone said: “The Scottish Government’s testing strategy has been incoherent.

“I’m dismayed that it has taken this long into lockdown for the Government to begin recruiting contact tracers.”

Labour’s shadow health secretary Monica Lennon said: “It’s now vital that the success of thetracing strategy isn’t hampered by unnecessary slowness on recruitment.”

Scottish Lib Dems leader Willie Rennie said: “This slow rate of progress is making a lot of people very nervous about the Scottish Government’s ability to make it happen.”