England's outsourced contact tracing scheme failed to contact almost 250,000 people

Private firms Serco and Sitel failed to contact 245,481 contacts in England either online or from call centres over four months, the Labour Party figures show.

(PA)

England's outsourced test and trace system has failed to reach nearly a quarter of a million close contacts of people who have tested positive for coronavirus, according to new analysis conducted by the Labour Party.

Private firms Serco and Sitel failed to contact 245,481 contacts in England either online or from call centres over four months – missing nearly 40% of contacts, the figures show.