Delivering digital services for NHS Test and Trace

We supported enhanced surveillance of variants of concern by expanding data capture at test registration on 29 January 2021 (for example, new questions to record previous positive test results) and establishing a direct feed to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the largest genome sequencing hub in the UK, on 9 February 2021. 

These changes enable prioritised gene sequencing of samples of interest and enable future work to enable particular samples to be identified at point of registration. 

We delivered new digital capabilities on 15 February 2021 to support mandatory testing of international arrivals, including integration with a 3rd party hotel booking system, a new ordering service for self-testing kits, and capture of additional data at registration. These changes enable testing of individuals isolating at government quarantine hotels (‘Red’ channel) and those self-isolating at an accommodation of their choice (‘Amber’ channel). 

We launched a new service on 4 March 2021 for ordering Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests for home use. This service is a key enabler of the safe return to schools and is for use by anyone in a household, childcare bubble or support bubble if at least one member is a school pupil or works in a school (or related occupation).

We delivered additional changes to the Asymptomatic Testing Site (ATS) platform to support the return to school including changes that enable schools to more easily report LFD test results on 29 January 2021, bulk register LFD tests on 15 February 2021, and bulk order LFD tests on 18 February 2021. 

We have continued to enhance the online service for self-reporting test results by:

• integrating the service with NHS Login on 4 February 2021, reducing the time required to report a result by over 50%
• providing users with a Contact Tracing token from 11 March 2021, ensuring isolation periods start at point of a positive LFD test
• expanding the service to include Wales NHS staff on 11 March 2021

We have implemented the capture of ONS occupation codes on 18 March 2021 to enable surveillance by sector. 

We have also completed the scaling work required for the digital service to process up to 10 million results per day and over 1 million results per hour. 

At peak, the service successfully processed over 2 million results within 24 hours.