According to a recent report from the Wales Audit Office, the Test, Trace and Protect (TTP) service has acted as the foundation of COVID-19 intervention throughout Wales. The backbone of the service in Gwent is the innovative partnership between the 5 local authorities and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
The strong partnership over the past year across Newport, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent has produced high levels of protection for our communities and Gwent Test, Trace, Protect has provided a new blueprint for collaborative working in the region.
The report confirms that Test, Trace, Protect is a crucial part of action to limit the spread of Covid-19 and reducing the need for restrictions on people’s lives. It concludes that regardless of the progress with vaccines, the TTP programme will remain a key tool in Wales’ battle with the virus for some time to come.
Other key findings from the report are:
• As public sector staff redeployed into the Service return to their normal roles there is a need for a skilled and resilient TTP workforce to be maintained.
• Lockdowns have only provided temporary solutions to controlling transmission and the TTP programme is a key tool to control the virus.
• The TTP programme has demonstrated the ability for public services to work together and at pace to get things done. As attention moves to different responses to the pandemic, it is important that the positive learning from the programme is captured and applied to how partners work together in the future.
• Most importantly of all, the public still has a huge role to stop the virus spreading by following guidance and self-isolating when necessary. The progress with vaccines does not remove the need for the public to help in these ways.
Eryl Powell, Consultant in Public Health for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said:
“The success of the Test, Trace, Protect Service in Gwent has undoubtedly been down to strong partnerships between the five local authorities in Gwent and the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Colleagues across the region have been incredibly committed to integrated public services and using knowledge of our communities has been instrumental in the achievements of Gwent TTP.
"As we see the restrictions start to ease, the Test, Trace, Protect Service is as important now as it’s ever been and we strongly encourage people that have COVID-19 symptoms or who feel generally unwell to present for testing and to self-isolate for 10 days if their results come back as positive. We are committed to providing support to those who need to isolate to keep Gwent safe.”
The full Audit Wales report can be viewed by visiting:
https://wao.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/track-trace-protect-Eng_0.pdf