The opposition today accused the government of being “in denial” about the “clear failures” of its privatised COVID-19 contact tracing system – just days before ministers must decide whether to renew their contracts with outsourcing giants Serco and SITEL for a second time.
Speaking to openDemocracy, shadow cabinet office minister Helen Hayes said the government was “pouring taxpayer money down the drain” because of its “addiction to outsourcing”.
In Parliament today, Hayes asked: “What justification the government could possibly have for continuing with the failed privatised centralised model of test and trace, in contrast to the effectiveness of local councils and public health teams who are denied the full funding they require?”
