Sunderland 'working blind' in fight against coronavirus - council chief demands more transparency and 'localised approach'

Sunderland City Council leader Councillor Graeme Miller has written to the Prime Minister urging him and other Ministers to work hand-in-hand with local councils - who he believes are uniquely equipped to react to spikes in the illness - to ensure that new COVID-19 cases can be tested, tracked and traced effectively.

He said: “We’ve seen growing criticism of the Government on its track and trace system, and I think that is borne out of total frustration and desperation.

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“We all want to see this country beat COVID-19 and the Government has to find the most efficient, effective ways of enabling us to return to some normality. Testing, tracking and tracing is absolutely essential if we are going to achieve that, and I am very clear that the most effective way of delivering that is to arm local councils with more data and insight that will enable them to isolate cases of COVID-19 and protect people.

“The Government has said it sees a key role for Local Authorities in test, track and trace, but it is time to follow that through by sharing meaningful data and insight that can allow us to do our job.”

In correspondence sent on behalf of the leader today, Councillor Miller sets out a need for Government to share much more detailed data with the council, which would enable the local authority to communicate with people on a hyper-local basis.

“We know the Government has data at its disposal that would identify areas of the city where COVID is prevalent, insight we could then use to communicate with those localities and keep people safe. It is nonsensical that we are working blind, with only insight into how many cases exist across the city.

“We need to be empowered to support, something we are not only willing and able, but absolutely uniquely placed to do.”

As well as access to details of Coronavirus hotspots in the city, the council leader is calling for a more localised approach to testing, with the council supporting with accessible community hubs and working with local labs, to enable better reach and quicker results, and therefore action.

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The Government’s current national testing approach is delivered through a commercial partner, with no role for local councils and health services to help shape and direct these crucial efforts.

“This is not about politics. It’s about what is right and sensible to manage a crisis that the whole country is united in its efforts to beat.

“We will do everything in our power to limit the future impact of COVID-19 in Sunderland and we believe local authorities have a central role to play in this fight and that the Government should support and empower them to do this.

“We can take pride in what has been achieved during recent months against a backdrop of increased demand on services and the challenging circumstances in which we have had to deliver those vital services in the city.

“However, there is still much for us to do. We have demonstrated that we have the ability and willingness to deliver in order to get through this crisis, and to save lives by working together with Government. It’s time they worked with us in that spirit too.”

Letter in full:

Dear Prime Minister

I am writing in relation to your Test and Trace programme, and the opportunities I think your Government has to work more closely with local authorities in improving outcomes for our communities during this pandemic.

We welcome the additional funding announced to support councils like ours in delivering what we can all agree is a vital effort in the fight against Covid-19, however it is my strong belief that we cannot have the impact we need to without some changes to the way in which we work together with your Joint Biosecurity Centre and to how some elements of Test and Trace is delivered.

Data sharing is fundamental to how we as a local authority can best deploy our resources to contain outbreaks and limit the spread of the virus. Currently, we receive only limited, aggregated data with no reference to geography of positive cases within the city boundary.

With a better understanding of how cases are emerging in communities, we could identify hotspots and layer our local knowledge of the place to quickly deliver targeted intervention – both in terms of education and enforcement. Without this intelligence, we are effectively ‘working blind’ and without the evidence needed to maximise our resources.

Testing is also a challenge – aside from the regional and mobile testing provision currently in place, which is prohibitive for those who do not drive for example, there is a real need for more testing to be delivered in communities and through local labs. This would enable better reach and quicker results, and therefore action.

The current national testing approach is delivered through a commercial partner with no role for local councils and health services – those with a real understanding of the place – to help to shape and direct these crucial efforts, and I believe this is again limiting the impact it can have.

As a council we take pride in what has been achieved during recent months against a backdrop of increased demand on services and the unusual circumstances in which we have had to deliver those vital services to the city (whilst maintaining social distancing and limiting the spread of Covid-19), however there is still much for us to do, and your Government has a real opportunity to support this through what I believe are reasonable and measured requests.

We will continue to work hard and to build on the positive relationships we’ve fostered with partners and residents during the Covid-19 pandemic so far – there is a role for everyone in ensuring our city and its residents, especially the most vulnerable, stay safe. And it is in that spirit that I hope you will consider the points I have outlined above and support us in local government to protect our places and their people.

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