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United Kingdom: Public Accounts Committee report on Test and Trace (2021)

Last checked: 22 October 2026 · Recommendation records

The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts published Test and Trace update, its Twenty-Third Report of Session 2021-22 (HC 182), on 27 October 2021 1. It made six recommendations to the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency, with deadlines from November 2021 to June 2022 1. The Treasury Minutes Progress Report of June 2026 lists the report among reports completed, with no outstanding recommendations shown 2.
Parliament
House of Commons, United Kingdom 1
Committee
Committee of Public Accounts 1
Report
Test and Trace update, Twenty-Third Report of Session 2021-22, HC 182 1
Published
27 October 2021. Ordered to be printed 21 October 2021 1
Audit relied on
Comptroller and Auditor General, Test and trace in England, progress update, HC 295, 25 June 2021 1,3
Funding cited
£37bn over two years, according to the committee 1
Government response
Treasury Minute. The response document and its date were not opened for this page
Outcome status
Listed under reports completed in the Treasury Minutes Progress Report, CP 1593, June 2026 2

What the audit and committee said

The National Audit Office published Test and trace in England, progress update on 25 June 2021 3. It reported a 2020-21 budget underspend of 39%, against roughly 10% discussed with the committee in January 2021 3. It said "Only a small minority of the tests it has bought have been registered as used" 3.

The committee's report says NHS Test and Trace was allocated £37bn over two years 1. Its first conclusion is headed: "NHST&T has not achieved its main objective to help break chains of COVID-19 transmission and enable people to return towards a more normal way of life" 1. The report adds that it is "not clear how much of this should be laid at the door of NHST&T" 1.

The recommendations as numbered in the report

No.RecommendationDeadline set by the committee
1UKHSA should "publish, by the end of December 2021, a performance management framework" 1End of December 2021 1
2The Department and UKHSA should "write to the Committee, by the end of November, setting out which groups are most underrepresented" 1End of November 2021 1
3UKHSA should "clearly set out how it plans to deliver the benefits expected from the funding" 1None stated in the text read 1
4UKHSA should "establish and monitor clear utilisation targets for both the laboratory and contact centre capacity" and write with an update 1January 2022 1
5UKHSA should "write to the Committee by the end of November 2021 detailing how it will reduce its dependency on consultants" 1End of November 2021, then progress in March and June 2022 1
6The Department and UKHSA "must urgently provide clarity to local government and other stakeholders about the future operating model" 1End of November 2021 1

Figures behind the recommendations

  • 691 million lateral flow tests distributed, of which 96 million (14%) were registered, according to the committee 1.
  • Between 18% and 33% of people with symptoms get a test, and about 16% of positive cases and 20% of contacts do not fully self-isolate, according to the committee 1.
  • Average laboratory use of 45% from November 2020 to April 2021, and contact centre use falling from 49% to 11% 1.
  • 2,239 consultants in April 2021, up from 2,164 in December 2020, at an average day rate of £1,100 1.
  • Contact tracing reached about 85% of contacts, against a SAGE-advised target of 80%, according to the NAO 3.

Government response and outcome

The government replies to Public Accounts Committee reports through Treasury Minutes, then reports on open recommendations in Treasury Minutes Progress Reports 2. This page could not open the Treasury Minute that answered the Twenty-Third Report, so its date and its position on each recommendation are not given here.

The Treasury Minutes Progress Report published in June 2026 (CP 1593) lists "23 Test and Trace update" under reports completed for Session 2021-22 2. It lists the earlier report "47 COVID-19: test and trace Part 1" from Session 2019-21 under reports completed as well 2. The document describes itself as "a record of the Government's progress towards implementing outstanding recommendations" 2. It does not define reports completed. This page reads the listing to mean that no recommendation from the report remains open in the government's tracking 2.

  • Recommendations 1 to 6: Implemented or closed, per the government's own listing in CP 1593, June 2026 2. The committee's own view of each response was not found as of 22 October 2026.

Common questions

How much money did NHS Test and Trace receive?

The committee said it was allocated £37bn over two years 1.

How many recommendations did the PAC make?

Six, in its Twenty-Third Report of Session 2021-22 1.

Are any recommendations still open?

The June 2026 Treasury Minutes Progress Report lists the report under reports completed 2.

What was the NAO report behind it?

Test and trace in England, progress update, HC 295, published on 25 June 2021 3.

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Sources

  1. Committee of Public Accounts: Test and Trace update, Twenty-Third Report of Session 2021-22, HC 182 (27 October 2021)
  2. HM Treasury: Treasury Minutes Progress Report, CP 1593 (June 2026)
  3. National Audit Office: Test and trace in England, progress update, HC 295 (25 June 2021)

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