Test and Trace: What you thought report

Report published 15 September 2021.

Please note: The data were gathered before the vaccine became available (first given 9 December 2020) and that perceptions of the risk of catching Covid-19 may well have altered.

Key messages:

• Most respondents understood the risk of infection from Covid-19, particularly how the virus affects vulnerable people and those with underlying health conditions.
• People generally felt confident about following advice, but there were also concerns raised by some about information provided, which seemed contradictory at times, and that protective guidelines were vague and unclear, noting a lack of planning and clarity from the Government.
• A third of respondents mistrusted the NHS Covid-19 app and some didn’t have an appropriate smart phone to install it, even if they wished to.
• Poor confidence in the Test and Trace service was compounded by poor communication with and concerns about privacy and the impact on other people being contacted.
• There was a lack of understanding about how the system would trace unknown people and some had concerns about the reliability of the service.
• Most people expressed a strong sense of being responsible for the safety, health, and wellbeing of others in the community and not wanting to pass on the virus to others.
• Respondents shared concerns about the feasibility and financial and wellbeing cost of self-isolation. Some felt that this would make no difference as they live alone anyway. Others wondered if those that were asked to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19, would do so.
• Many felt the Covid-19 test swabbing unpleasant and uncomfortable and some doubted the effectiveness of self-swabbing, wondering if they had done it properly.
• Many praised test centre staff and volunteers but not everyone received their results when they were told they would receive them, and these delays caused additional emotional stress for those testing.

Thank you!

Healthwatch Kingston would like to thank everyone that has shared their experiences with us to inform this report. Everything we say and do is informed by what local people tell us.