Extra £15.7m announced to increase contact tracing workforce across Wales

The health minister has today announced an extra £15.7m of funding to nearly double the contact tracing workforce in Wales.

It will see the number of contact tracing staff in Wales increase 1,800 to 3,100 in time for an expected rise in demand in December and through to the end of March.

A new all-Wales team is also being set-up to support local teams – which carry out the contact tracing – when they have a surge in cases.

Contact tracing is being used in countries around the world to limit the spread of the virus in the community by breaking the link in transmission.

It starts with self-reporting of symptoms, followed by testing suspected cases, tracing the contacts of those potentially infected and then protecting families, friends and communities through self-isolation.

“Contact tracing is a vital element of our Test, Trace, Protect strategy to stop the spread of the virus,” said Vaughan Gething said.

“The contact tracing system in Wales has performed well so far, with over 90% of contacts being traced successfully since it started.

We have used the firebreak period to review Test, Trace, Protect to enable us to maintain and improve performance as we head into what we expect will be a difficult winter, with the possibility that cases will increase.

“This extra funding will allow local contact tracing teams to increase the number of contact tracers and advisers for the busy winter period. We are also creating a new all-Wales tracing team to help our local teams manage surges on days when there are particularly high numbers of new positive cases.

He added: “Together with our investment in testing laboratories in Wales this will ensure or Test, Trace, Protect strategy can help protect us by quickly identifying people with coronavirus symptoms; identifying new hotspots and isolating as many contacts as possible.”

Earlier this month we spoke to councillor Hugh Jones, Wrexham Council’s lead member for communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety, and the person heading up the local Test Trace Protect effort, who told us the local team has a 95% contact rate.

Cllr Jones said: “In terms of Trace and Protect, which of course we as a council have directly responsibility for, first of all the level of cooperation across the border and within the whole of Wales is really working very effectively.