skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Apology to civil servants over 'shocking' leak of job cuts

Civil servants have reacted angrily after news their jobs are under threat was leaked to the media before they were told .
Workers in Whitehall departments ' communications teams went on the offensive in a call with media boss Alex Aiken .
Mr Aiken apologised `` for the way you learnt about these proposed changes '' in a heated briefing , Sky News has learnt .
But he confirmed redundancies may be needed given Downing Street wants all government departments to have 30 staff or `` preferably fewer '' dealing with journalists .
`` I recognise it has hurt people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I will work hard to regain your trust , '' the executive director for government communications said .
He confirmed meetings with human resources bosses will commence from Wednesday , with the plans for removing many civil service jobs agreed by Christmas and rolled out by March 2021 .
`` If we need a redundancy scheme… then I suspect we will put that in place - but we are not in that place yet , '' he said in a bid to reassure staff .
But the announcement went down poorly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff member told him it was `` completely tone deaf '' while another attacked the `` shockingly poor comms '' .
`` This looks entirely political , '' a third said .
A fourth voiced incredulity that the order was coming `` from a PM who bumbles his way through every media appearance - that 's not political , that 's fact '' .
A fifth person on the call asked : `` Most times we have ministers that do not listen to our ideas ... Why are we paying the high price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Aiken had explained the plan to switch to a so-called `` single-employer model '' where all staff are managed by the Cabinet Office rather than their individual departments was originally agreed in 2017 - but postponed because of that year 's election - and has been picked back up by Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
He claimed the move will lead to `` fewer , better , cross government campaigns '' - coupled with the start of a televised Downing Street briefing that marks a `` fundamental and radical change '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given `` due warning '' and there will be attempts to move them to other roles in the civil service , he added .
Gary Graham , deputy head of the Prospect union that represents civil servants , told Sky News he had `` never seen part of government act in such a chaotic and cack-handed way '' .
He added : `` The approach is crass and insensitive .
Our members have been working tirelessly to support the country and keep the public informed through this pandemic - and this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are obviously concerned about their jobs and careers - but they are also concerned for the citizens and stakeholders they serve and the organisations they currently work for .
`` The leaked media stories , centralisation and snap announcement reek of low politics and headline chasing .
`` The chaotic approach taken has not only destroyed the confidence of staff but also risks damaging the public 's trust in the communications they receive from government . ''
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said : `` Moving to a single employer model is a long-standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and effective .
`` There will now be a formal civil service process , overseen by a dedicated programme board .
`` There will be full consultation with staff throughout this process . ''

Civil servants have reacted angrily after news their jobs are under threat was leaked to the media before they were told.
Workers in Whitehall departments' communications teams went on the offensive in a call with media boss Alex Aiken.
Mr Aiken apologised "for the way you learnt about these proposed changes" in a heated briefing, Sky News has learnt.
Image: Alex Aiken told staff he wanted to 'regain your trust'
But he confirmed redundancies may be needed given Downing Street wants all government departments to have 30 staff or "preferably fewer" dealing with journalists.
"I recognise it has hurt people and I'm sorry about that, and I will work hard to regain your trust," the executive director for government communications said.
He confirmed meetings with human resources bosses will commence from Wednesday, with the plans for removing many civil service jobs agreed by Christmas and rolled out by March 2021.
"If we need a redundancy scheme… then I suspect we will put that in place - but we are not in that place yet," he said in a bid to reassure staff.
But the announcement went down poorly with civil servants on the call.
Image: PM Boris Johnson wants to press on with plans to shake up Whitehall
One staff member told him it was "completely tone deaf" while another attacked the "shockingly poor comms".
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"This looks entirely political," a third said.
A fourth voiced incredulity that the order was coming "from a PM who bumbles his way through every media appearance - that's not political, that's fact".
A fifth person on the call asked: "Most times we have ministers that do not listen to our ideas... Why are we paying the high price for their lack of understanding?"
Mr Aiken had explained the plan to switch to a so-called "single-employer model" where all staff are managed by the Cabinet Office rather than their individual departments was originally agreed in 2017 - but postponed because of that year's election - and has been picked back up by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He claimed the move will lead to "fewer, better, cross government campaigns" - coupled with the start of a televised Downing Street briefing that marks a "fundamental and radical change".
Image: Union boss Gary Graham criticised the 'crass and insensitive' approach
Civil servants who are laid off will be given "due warning" and there will be attempts to move them to other roles in the civil service, he added.
Gary Graham, deputy head of the Prospect union that represents civil servants, told Sky News he had "never seen part of government act in such a chaotic and cack-handed way".
He added: "The approach is crass and insensitive. Our members have been working tirelessly to support the country and keep the public informed through this pandemic - and this is how they get rewarded?
"Members are obviously concerned about their jobs and careers - but they are also concerned for the citizens and stakeholders they serve and the organisations they currently work for.
"The leaked media stories, centralisation and snap announcement reek of low politics and headline chasing.
"The chaotic approach taken has not only destroyed the confidence of staff but also risks damaging the public's trust in the communications they receive from government."
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "Moving to a single employer model is a long-standing plan to make government communication more efficient and effective.
"There will now be a formal civil service process, overseen by a dedicated programme board.
"There will be full consultation with staff throughout this process."


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Revealed: How much government has spent on COVID-19 response - including £15bn on PPE

The government allocated more than £15bn to buy personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for frontline NHS staff as part of an extra £50bn given to public services to help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic , Treasury documents have revealed .
On the same day that Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a £30bn package of new measures to kickstart the UK 's economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis , further details emerged of the government 's already vast spending .
At his Budget on 11 March , Mr Sunak vowed to give the NHS `` whatever it needs , whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus outbreak .
Treasury documents published on Tuesday revealed that - since the chancellor made that pledge - he has so far approved £48.5bn of additional spending on public services for the immediate response to the outbreak .
This is more than the Ministry of Defence 's annual budget .
The sum includes £31.9bn of support for health services , of which more than £15bn was approved to buy PPE and £10bn earmarked for the government 's test and trace scheme .
In addition , £1bn was allocated to buy extra ventilators for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiscal support worth almost £160bn - including the near £50bn spend on public services - has been announced by the government since 11 March to deal with the crisis .
This includes £69bn on employment support - such as the government 's furlough scheme for workers and income support scheme for the self-employed - and business support worth £30bn .
The near £160bn sum is almost £30bn more than the latest estimate from the Office for Budget Responsibility ( OBR ) , which stands at £133bn .
This does not include the £30bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunak on Wednesday , which contained an `` Eat Out to Help Out '' scheme to provide half-price meals at restaurants , cafes and pubs for Britons during August .
: : Listen to The World Tomorrow on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Paul Johnson , director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies , said : `` Prior to today , the total value of new measures announced since March was thought to stand at £130bn .
`` Today the Treasury revised that figure up to nearly £160bn with £30bn more being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The chancellor also set out new measures worth a further £30bn .
`` More support may well need to be announced in the autumn when we know more about the path of the virus and of the economy , but this was another big package from the chancellor . ''
Torsten Bell , chief executive of the Resolution Foundation , said : `` Today 's Budget in-all-but-name was a £30bn top-up to a pandemic response that is approaching 10 % of GDP and will push borrowing to around £350bn this year @ @

The government allocated more than £15bn to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline NHS staff as part of an extra £50bn given to public services to help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic, Treasury documents have revealed.
On the same day that Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a £30bn package of new measures to kickstart the UK's economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, further details emerged of the government's already vast spending.
At his Budget on 11 March, Mr Sunak vowed to give the NHS "whatever it needs, whatever it costs" to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:27 What has the government been spending so far?
Treasury documents published on Tuesday revealed that - since the chancellor made that pledge - he has so far approved £48.5bn of additional spending on public services for the immediate response to the outbreak.
This is more than the Ministry of Defence's annual budget.
The sum includes £31.9bn of support for health services, of which more than £15bn was approved to buy PPE and £10bn earmarked for the government's test and trace scheme.
In addition, £1bn was allocated to buy extra ventilators for the NHS.
In total, direct fiscal support worth almost £160bn - including the near £50bn spend on public services - has been announced by the government since 11 March to deal with the crisis.
This includes £69bn on employment support - such as the government's furlough scheme for workers and income support scheme for the self-employed - and business support worth £30bn.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:12 Sunak explains 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme
The near £160bn sum is almost £30bn more than the latest estimate from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which stands at £133bn.
This does not include the £30bn package of extra measures announced by Mr Sunak on Wednesday, which contained an "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme to provide half-price meals at restaurants, cafes and pubs for Britons during August.
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Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: "Prior to today, the total value of new measures announced since March was thought to stand at £130bn.
"Today the Treasury revised that figure up to nearly £160bn with £30bn more being spent on public services, especially health.
"The chancellor also set out new measures worth a further £30bn.
"More support may well need to be announced in the autumn when we know more about the path of the virus and of the economy, but this was another big package from the chancellor."
Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: "Today's Budget in-all-but-name was a £30bn top-up to a pandemic response that is approaching 10% of GDP and will push borrowing to around £350bn this year."


skynewspolitics--2020-07-09--Chancellor warns of 'difficult times ahead' despite stimulus package

Rishi Sunak has told Sky News there will be `` difficult times ahead '' despite new emergency measures to kickstart the economy after the coronavirus lockdown .
The chancellor admitted `` we are not going to be able to protect every single job '' as businesses reopen following a three-month shutdown .
`` I am absolutely anxious about the state of the economy , '' he told Kay Burley @ Breakfast after a major statement on Wednesday .
`` We are , as I ’ ve said before , entering into a very significant recession .
We know that that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecasts of mass unemployment `` weigh very heavily on me '' .
But Mr Sunak struck a note of optimism , adding : `` We do n't want people to be left without hope or opportunity . ''
He also urged Britons to `` have the confidence '' to return to eating out `` because of the measures restaurants have taken '' - despite being seen serving food to customers in a Wagamamas without wearing gloves or a mask .
The real toll of COVID-19 on the economy will take some time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explaining people will have to gradually readopt behaviours they have `` unlearned over the last few months '' .
His highly-anticipated speech to the Commons revealed plans to subsidise discounts on meals out , cut stamp duty and pay companies for taking workers off furlough and retaining them into 2021. : : Listen to The World Tomorrow on Apple podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker Despite focusing on the drive to get people spending again , there was no word in the statement on plans to scrap the waiver put in place during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to pay for parking at their own hospital .
Mr Sunak told Sky News the `` commitment has n't changed '' for it to remain as long as the coronavirus crisis .
And he repeated a manifesto pledge to extend free hospital parking for the disabled , frequent outpatient attendees , and parents of sick children who are staying overnight and night-shift workers .
Addressing businesses who still have to stay closed under lockdown rules , such as the beauty industry , Mr Sunak said an announcement will come `` very soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said there are `` some aspects '' of the chancellor 's speech Labour supports , but he `` is n't shifting '' away from a `` one-size-fits-all '' approach to the economy .
It will create `` unnecessary waves of unemployment '' - particularly in sectors where the furlough scheme is needed for longer , she told Sky News .
Ms Dodds added there should also have been `` more targeted '' measures to create affordable housing on top of the stamp duty cut .

Rishi Sunak has told Sky News there will be "difficult times ahead" despite new emergency measures to kickstart the economy after the coronavirus lockdown.
The chancellor admitted "we are not going to be able to protect every single job" as businesses reopen following a three-month shutdown.
"I am absolutely anxious about the state of the economy," he told Kay Burley@Breakfast after a major statement on Wednesday.
Image: Pledges were made on subsidised meals, VAT and returning to work
"We are, as I’ve said before, entering into a very significant recession. We know that that is happening."
He said the forecasts of mass unemployment "weigh very heavily on me".
But Mr Sunak struck a note of optimism, adding: "We don't want people to be left without hope or opportunity."
He also urged Britons to "have the confidence" to return to eating out "because of the measures restaurants have taken" - despite being seen serving food to customers in a Wagamamas without wearing gloves or a mask.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:33 Sunak stumbles over orders as he tries to deliver food - without a mask
The real toll of COVID-19 on the economy will take some time to be realised, the chancellor added, explaining people will have to gradually readopt behaviours they have "unlearned over the last few months".
His highly-anticipated speech to the Commons revealed plans to subsidise discounts on meals out, cut stamp duty and pay companies for taking workers off furlough and retaining them into 2021.
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Despite focusing on the drive to get people spending again, there was no word in the statement on plans to scrap the waiver put in place during the pandemic meaning NHS staff do not have to pay for parking at their own hospital.
Image: The UK is heading into a 'very significant recession', Mr Sunak said
Mr Sunak told Sky News the "commitment hasn't changed" for it to remain as long as the coronavirus crisis.
And he repeated a manifesto pledge to extend free hospital parking for the disabled, frequent outpatient attendees, and parents of sick children who are staying overnight and night-shift workers.
Addressing businesses who still have to stay closed under lockdown rules, such as the beauty industry, Mr Sunak said an announcement will come "very soon" on which firms can reopen next.
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said there are "some aspects" of the chancellor's speech Labour supports, but he "isn't shifting" away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to the economy.
Image: Anneliese Dodds warned of 'unnecessary waves of unemployment'
It will create "unnecessary waves of unemployment" - particularly in sectors where the furlough scheme is needed for longer, she told Sky News.
Ms Dodds added there should also have been "more targeted" measures to create affordable housing on top of the stamp duty cut.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-09--Sunak accused of 'wasting' cash after civil service concerns

Two of Rishi Sunak 's plans to boost the economy were not signed off as being value for money by the civil service .
The chancellor 's pledges to subsidise meals out and pay firms for each employee retained into the new year came without the approval of the permanent secretary at HMRC , Jim Harra .
That and a reported admission by Mr Sunak some of the taxpayers ' money being spent is `` deadweight '' have led to criticism from Labour he is wasting cash by not targeting it enough at those who need it .
Ministers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid to revive the economy during what the chancellor says is already a `` very significant recession '' caused by the coronavirus lockdown .
Around £30bn was committed by Mr Sunak on Wednesday .
But two of the promises have come into question after Mr Harra - the most senior civil servant at HMRC - said he could not support them in a letter sent on Tuesday , but published on Thursday .
`` As you know , it is my personal responsibility as principal accounting officer to ensure that the department 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with the requirements as set out in Managing Public Money ( MPM ) , '' he said .
`` The advice that we have both received highlights uncertainty around the value for money of this proposal and it is upon this advice that I have reached my conclusion that I am unable to reach a view that this represents value for money to the standards expected by MPM .
`` It has proved difficult to establish a counterfactual for this scheme , which depends on the overall cost of the scheme and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect both of which are currently highly uncertain .
`` That uncertainty also applies to the efficiency of the measure . ''
He added that he required `` written instruction '' directly from Mr Sunak to proceed .
The chancellor wrote back on the same day saying `` there are broader issues that I am able to weigh in my decision '' that an independent civil servant is `` not able to accommodate in your own '' .
He insisted that without bringing in a £1,000 payment for each employer that brings back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , `` jobs will be at acute risk . ''
And he added that the `` eat out to help out '' scheme was needed because `` restaurants and cafes are likely to see lower demand than usual , even as concerns about the safety of going out for a meal or a coffee gradually fall away '' now `` the time is right for people to experience going out again '' .
In an interview with the BBC earlier on Thursday , Mr Sunak also admitted some money was being spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Without question there will be deadweight and there has been deadweight in all of the interventions we have put in place and there will be some degree of moral hazard , '' he said .
`` In an ideal world we would n't be doing those things but in order to get something like the furlough scheme up and running in the few weeks that we did , we did not have the luxury of being able to design something that would target exactly everyone who specifically needed it . ''
Labour claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the COVID-19 lockdown and design targeted support but `` instead we have an on-the-hoof fix that the chancellor himself admits risks wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money '' .
Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson said : `` Hard-pressed sectors where thousands of jobs are at risk , like aviation , oil and gas , and tourism , will be missing out on the help they need while companies who are returning to normal get public money they do n't .
`` The chancellor should be targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not handing it out aimlessly to those who do n't .
It 's not brave to admit the government plans to waste billions at a time when others are crying out for support . ''

Two of Rishi Sunak's plans to boost the economy were not signed off as being value for money by the civil service.
The chancellor's pledges to subsidise meals out and pay firms for each employee retained into the new year came without the approval of the permanent secretary at HMRC, Jim Harra.
That and a reported admission by Mr Sunak some of the taxpayers' money being spent is "deadweight" have led to criticism from Labour he is wasting cash by not targeting it enough at those who need it.
Ministers are putting in unprecedented state support in a bid to revive the economy during what the chancellor says is already a "very significant recession" caused by the coronavirus lockdown.
Around £30bn was committed by Mr Sunak on Wednesday.
But two of the promises have come into question after Mr Harra - the most senior civil servant at HMRC - said he could not support them in a letter sent on Tuesday, but published on Thursday.
"As you know, it is my personal responsibility as principal accounting officer to ensure that the department's use of its resources is appropriate and consistent with the requirements as set out in Managing Public Money (MPM)," he said.
"The advice that we have both received highlights uncertainty around the value for money of this proposal and it is upon this advice that I have reached my conclusion that I am unable to reach a view that this represents value for money to the standards expected by MPM.
"It has proved difficult to establish a counterfactual for this scheme, which depends on the overall cost of the scheme and the number of extra jobs it would protect both of which are currently highly uncertain.
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"That uncertainty also applies to the efficiency of the measure."
He added that he required "written instruction" directly from Mr Sunak to proceed.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:36 Chancellor: 'We can't protect every job'
The chancellor wrote back on the same day saying "there are broader issues that I am able to weigh in my decision" that an independent civil servant is "not able to accommodate in your own".
He insisted that without bringing in a £1,000 payment for each employer that brings back a furloughed colleague until at least next year, "jobs will be at acute risk."
And he added that the "eat out to help out" scheme was needed because "restaurants and cafes are likely to see lower demand than usual, even as concerns about the safety of going out for a meal or a coffee gradually fall away" now "the time is right for people to experience going out again".
In an interview with the BBC earlier on Thursday, Mr Sunak also admitted some money was being spent where it wasn't needed.
"Without question there will be deadweight and there has been deadweight in all of the interventions we have put in place and there will be some degree of moral hazard," he said.
"In an ideal world we wouldn't be doing those things but in order to get something like the furlough scheme up and running in the few weeks that we did, we did not have the luxury of being able to design something that would target exactly everyone who specifically needed it."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:33 Sunak stumbles over orders as he tries to deliver food - without a mask
Labour claim the government had months to prepare for the end of the COVID-19 lockdown and design targeted support but "instead we have an on-the-hoof fix that the chancellor himself admits risks wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money".
Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson said: "Hard-pressed sectors where thousands of jobs are at risk, like aviation, oil and gas, and tourism, will be missing out on the help they need while companies who are returning to normal get public money they don't.
"The chancellor should be targeting support on those who need it, not handing it out aimlessly to those who don't. It's not brave to admit the government plans to waste billions at a time when others are crying out for support."


skynewspolitics--2020-07-06--'We completely buffed the system' - The inside story of the UK's testing regime

As Britain sought to assemble its coronavirus testing programme , all the usual rules were broken .
In their effort to release rapid data to show the increase in testing capacity , officials from Public Health England ( PHE ) and the Department of Health and Social Care ( DHSC ) `` hand-cranked '' the numbers to ensure a constant stream of rising test numbers were available for each day 's press conference , Sky News has been told .
An internal audit later confirmed that some of those figures simply did n't add up .
According to multiple sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in such a chaotic manner that we may never know for sure how many people have been tested for coronavirus .
`` We completely buffed the system , '' says a senior Whitehall figure .
`` We said : forget the conventions , we 're putting [ this data ] out . ''
Sky News has learned that in the early days of mass COVID-19 testing , the statistical problems were so deep that one minister sat at their desk with Excel spreadsheets in front of them , calling round to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Even as Health Secretary Matt Hancock struggled to get the number of tests carried out up to 100,000 a day by the end of April , the collection of those testing statistics was still so primitive that they were being compiled with pen and paper .
Sky News has uncovered hand-written tables of testing data , allegedly from mid-May , which show national testing figures for different parts of the operation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle on the testing data .
Late last week , it admitted that there was significant double-counting in those early testing statistics , saying the total number of cases in the UK was 30,000 fewer than its original data claimed .
Over the weekend , it said that it would no longer publish a daily estimate of how many people had been tested for the disease .
And while it has insisted that many of these problems are historic and have now been addressed , question marks over the data on testing continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Wednesday , it was forced to revise its estimate of the number of tests carried out yet again , eliminating another 10,000 tests which had been double-counted in the original data , then adding back another 20,000 tests yesterday .
It is the latest chapter of a fraught saga which goes back to the early days of the pandemic .
It is a saga which can now be told in the fullest detail yet .
This account is a product of dozens of conversations with individuals involved in the testing programme , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government officials - most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity .
The picture that emerges is of government departments , agencies and their consultants struggling to navigate a maze of different computer systems , and a Byzantine pathology sector , of flawed decision-making based on targets rather than sustainable systems .
The upshot was that in its early months , both the testing system and the data produced by it were simply `` not fit for purpose '' , according to one senior official .
That matters because testing , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a crucial part of the response to the pandemic .
Without a quick , reliable testing programme Britain will struggle to combat any future upsurge in COVID-19 cases .
Without the data that comes from it , authorities will struggle to assemble their response , be that local lockdowns or the administration of forensic quarantine programmes .
If that data is not trusted , there is no guarantee that those lockdowns will be obeyed .
In short , the programme and its data are the most potent defence against a second wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one need only look at Leicester , where the lockdown has been extended locally because of an upsurge in cases in the city .
Such local lockdowns are likely to become more commonplace in the coming months as public health officials battle flare-ups .
However , the Leicester episode also underlined another ongoing problem : a lack of clear , quick data .
Local officials said they had only been provided with postcode-level data on cases on 25 June , just days before the lockdown was announced .
And while DHSC insists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided to local authorities on an ad hoc basis from mid-June , and stresses that it has worked closely with Leicester City Council , the episode underlines the continuing struggles over data as the government works to unpick the errors baked into the system at the start .
Government sources insist the system is improving , pointing to small but significant changes in the way information is recorded and reported .
Late last week , NHS Test and Trace was able to announce some statistics on turnaround times for tests .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publishing the number of people being tested , albeit on a weekly rather than a daily basis , and without providing a cumulative number since the outbreak of the disease .
Some of the early double counting is being gradually removed , but DHSC has acknowledged that there is more to come .
In its update to the statistics yesterday it said : `` Due to data not being made available , it 's likely that pillar 2 numbers for the 7 July are over-reported .
The figures will be revised , once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week . ''
It is the latest evidence of the difficulties officials continue to have in putting numbers on the test and trace system , which was assigned a further £10 billion of funding by the Chancellor this week .
There have been concerns with Britain 's testing data for some time .
Last month , Sir David Norgrove , the chair of the UK Statistics Authority , wrote to Mr Hancock and warned that `` the figures ( on testing ) are still far from complete and comprehensible '' .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data are analysed and presented currently gives them limited value ...
The aim seems to be to show the largest possible number of tests , even at the expense of understanding . ''
But it turns out the problems with data over-testing went far deeper than is evident from the Statistics Authority letter .
They were a consequence of a system which , according to Sky News sources , was born out of chaos , where little thought was given to the kinds of data collection practices which are expected of most government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pandemic , with two fateful decisions about the way Britain 's testing infrastructure would be arranged .
When news first broke of the virus in China at the turn of the year , the working plan at DHSC was to rely on PHE and its existing network of testing facilities .
Britain 's pathology sector is not lavishly funded , but it has tried and tested practices that ensure results are delivered quickly and are usually fed back into medical records .
However , in the first three months of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity at its labs - to the enormous frustration of central government .
`` It was a risk , '' says one senior source .
`` We bet on red .
And it came up black .
The Germans were lucky .
They had lots of machines lying around and a system in place .
We had next to nothing .
`` This country 's pharmaceutical industry has a real advantage when it comes to 'high science ' - blockbuster drug development , biotech and so on - the sexy stuff .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsexy end : diagnostics , where we tend to buy the kit in from abroad .
`` That was a massive problem .
Many of the NHS pathology labs are effectively cottage industries , cooking up tests by the day .
They were n't equipped for what was coming their way . ''
Many working in NHS pathology labs reject that characterisation .
They argue that if the government had turned to them , then testing would be in a far better position - and point to their successes as proof .
Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their services to the government and PHE to push up testing capacity .
But in March , the government decided to reject those advances and set up an entirely separate network of testing sites and facilities , run in large part by commercial partners .
It was a bold , disruptive move in the face of what was seen as foot-dragging by PHE and NHS labs , but multiple sources from inside government , from labs and from the technology sector told Sky News it was this move more than any other that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results and data that have plagued the system ever since .
Leaving PHE in charge of the `` core '' tests for hospitals and key health workers , which it now labelled `` Pillar 1 '' , it conceived of a mammoth new testing programme for the general public , with a network of `` Lighthouse Laboratories '' around the country .
This centralised testing scheme was named `` Pillar 2 '' and would encompass home-testing kits and drive-in and walk-in centres around the country .
Having made testing an internal priority , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down with a public pledge to raise the number of daily tests to 100,000 .
At that stage there were barely more than 10,000 tests a day being carried out , but Mr Hancock gambled that with the new Pillar 2 system being hastily set up , it was just possible to meet the target by the end of the month .
That target was the second fateful decision : from that point most of the focus in Whitehall was on hitting 100,000 as quickly as possible .
In the face of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than usual was given to putting in place the systems and safeguards that would ensure test results could be robustly reported and tabulated into the data that would help inform Britain 's response to COVID-19 .
A host of departments and consortia were engaged .
Deloitte was contracted to set up the booking system - everything from the digital infrastructure ( websites , portals and booking systems ) to the coding that would associate an individual with their testing vial .
Amazon was brought in to manage logistics and the army was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those test centres .
It was a gargantuan operation which did indeed push up testing numbers rapidly , but as it expanded , those involved found it even more difficult to keep track of the crucial statistics .
Even in the absence of human error , managing a testing programme is a demanding logistical challenge , involving a chain with many points of fragility .
Consider a home testing kit .
Nearly three million of these tests have been mailed out to households around the UK .
Each contains a swab , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lengthy 16-page booklet of instructions about how to self-administer the test .
Having taken a sample from their throat and nose , the individual must then attach a barcode to the vial the correct way round , put it in the packaging and send it back to one of the Lighthouse Labs .
Since the tests are time-sensitive , if it does n't arrive within 48 hours the results could be invalid .
When the vial reaches the test centres another crucial chain of events begins : the vial needs to be assigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain reaction ( PCR ) machine , where the test itself takes place .
Sometimes mistakes happen at this stage : the vials are dropped or contaminants are introduced .
Sometimes tests have to be reprocessed .
But even if the test is done perfectly and the result is delivered quickly , without the associated data it quickly loses meaning .
According to one senior source , `` we had problems not just with capacity but creating an end-to-end process '' .
They said : `` Deloitte were amazing and threw together something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early days there 's no doubt it was chaotic .
A bag of tests would arrive on a given night and we would n't know where it came from '' .
Deloitte , whose consulting arm has worked on similar schemes in other countries , created a database which would collect as many of these datapoints as possible - down to whether a vial was dropped or spoiled .
According to insiders , it now links up directly with the existing lab systems - the National Pathology Exchange ( NPEx ) - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the NHS .
But that system took time to get up and running , and even in recent weeks those who have worked with it have reported numerous problems .
Tom Lewis , a doctor who oversees testing at North Devon Healthcare NHS Trust , says that when tests are carried out by his own labs the results come back within 12 hours .
Most importantly , those results are tied to crucial data points : they are filed alongside each person 's unique NHS number , forming a permanent , traceable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast , when tests are done by the national system , the results take far longer to arrive , in large part because the tests need to be transported to the Lighthouse Labs before processing .
Worryingly , those crucial data points , including links with an NHS number , are not routinely collected - making it extremely difficult to reconcile the test results with a given individual and their accompanying medical records .
This helps explain why DHSC was unable for many weeks to publish data for the number of people tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data problems are particularly acute when he attempts to get confirmation of test results for his staff from Pillar 2 centres .
In order to verify that a staff member has been tested , he has been forced to ask for screenshots , which he then enters manually into an Excel spreadsheet .
Handling an outbreak at a care home , he was unable to find out who had been tested and what the results were .
`` You know things have happened and you do n't know when and to whom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mess , a total mess . ''
The number of tests conducted by North Devon Hospital are tiny compared with the national scheme , but Dr Lewis says it could have been the basis for something much bigger , if only the increased capacity was linked to existing infrastructure .
As evidence , he points to the fact that he sends some swabs to a larger teaching hospital in Exeter - but because each test is linked to an NHS number , it is recorded , traced , and made easily accessible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The government system could have worked exactly the same way , if you had done it right , '' he says .
`` But instead they got management consultants and the military to sort it out . ''
Many of those Sky News has talked to referred back to that fateful decision to reject the offers of help from the existing lab community - both in hospitals and the academic sector - as one of the moments things started to go wrong .
Those in government say there was simply no other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six figures , though they acknowledge that Pillar 1 testing has increased its capacity well beyond what anyone expected in March .
Even there , there were still problems as people scrambled to meet the health secretary 's target .
`` There were multiple test formats , multiple outputs , multiple different barcodes , '' said a senior manager in the Pillar 1 testing sector .
`` We had one testing lab operating on one type of barcode system , hospitals on another , then another barcode system altogether in a different lab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doing that at scale - well , it 's no surprise there were so many problems .
`` But the real problem was : there were too few people at the very top who understood the nature of the tests they were dealing with . ''
Still , while those working in the established testing sector had reliable ways of turning their results into overall data , Deloitte struggled to do so from the early days of the Lighthouse Labs of Pillar 2 , according to one senior technologist who witnessed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was literally done on pen and paper ; we were startled by how primitive the data collection process was , '' they said .
`` It was barbaric .
There were hundreds of people working on this new system , yet the national test results were being literally hand-written . ''
Sky News has seen one of those hand-written tables of test results , compiling results from regional testing sites and mobile testing units around the country .
Those involved argue that staff may have written out testing data with pen and paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have been backups for electronic records , which were collected manually before a digital platform was put in place in mid-April .
However , that hand-written table allegedly dates from mid-May , when the system was already up in place .
And in the rush to get figures out , there were few checks being made at the very top to ensure nothing was falling through the cracks .
`` We were committed to publishing data on a daily basis , '' said a senior source at DHSC .
`` None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't throw up a new system in a few weeks and expect it to be perfect . ''
The Statistics Authority and Office for Statistics Regulation ask government statistics providers to try to follow the statistical code of conduct .
It stipulates : `` Statistics must be the best available estimate of what they aim to measure , and should not mislead .
To achieve this the data must be relevant , the methods must be sound and the assurance around the outputs must be clear . ''
Departmental insiders privately admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Normally when the government publishes data it takes three months to get the system approved , '' said the Whitehall figure .
`` We did n't have that kind of time .
So we completely buffed the system .
We said : 'Forget the conventions , we 're putting things out ' .
We did n't want to be accused of a lack of transparency .
`` In doing so we probably broke some of the rules .
But I do n't think there was some wild cover-up . ''
Sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were well aware of these problems with the data , they were nonetheless actively pushing to get that data released .
In the early days of the programme , one minister themselves phoned around to get numbers to add to Excel spreadsheets to produce each day 's testing figure .
Come the end of April , Mr Hancock was able to claim that his target of 100,000 tests per day had been carried out - but only because the DHSC included thousands of tests that had been mailed out to households around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at some cost , with the majority of the test kits sent out to households not returned for processing .
According to DHSC data , some 4 million kits have been sent out since late April , but 2.6 million tests have not yet been processed - around two in three of every home kit .
Even after the target had been hit , officials pushed on , producing statistics each day on the number of tests and the number of people tested .
Then , on 23 May , DHSC abruptly stopped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been tested .
It removed the data series from its website , saying : `` Due to technical difficulties with data collection we can not provide people tested figures today . ''
This week it confirmed that it would no longer produce those statistics each day , pointing people towards a weekly measure of people tested from the new Test and Trace programme instead .
However , it still has yet to produce a cumulative number for people tested .
In May , DHSC recruited Baroness Dido Harding , former chief executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NHS Test and Trace programme .
Following the series of letters with the Statistics Authority , she undertook to improve the collection of statistics - and , in recent weeks , new information has started to trickle out .
Gaps remain .
Test and Trace is not able to say how fast many tests in care homes are done , for instance , as these are conducted by pharmaceutical company Randox , which uses a different system to manage its records .
Yet insiders report a slow but steady improvement in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , there are still serious gaps .
Asked whether it knew how many people had been tested in total since the disease reached the UK , DHSC said more than 11 million tests had been delivered , with a capacity to carry out more then 300,000 a day .
Asked repeatedly to respond to the main claims in this piece , about problems with data , about poor standards of collection and double counting , it added : `` Throughout the pandemic , we have been transparent about our response to coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data we publish , including the way we update testing statistics .
`` We have engaged with the Office of National Statistics and the Office for Statistics Regulation on our new approach to these publications and will continue to work closely with them as we develop these figures . ''
But inside the department , there is an acknowledgement that for all the recent improvements in data gathering , the early mistakes may never be erased .
As one senior insider put it : `` There 's a growing recognition that we may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of those early tests .
`` We will probably never know how many people have been tested for the virus . ''
In the wake of this article 's publication , DHSC published a new data series of the number of people tested for Coronavirus going back to January .
These new data shows that the cumulative number of people tested between the end of January and late May was just under 2 million , split evenly between pillars one and two .
However there are serious questions about this new data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures previously released by the government .
At the government press conference on May 21 the health secretary announced that the cumulative number of people tested had already surpassed two million , hitting 2.06 million .
However , the figures released by DHSC today now show that by that stage in fact only 1.64 million people had been tested - in other words at the time Mr Hancock had overstated the number who had been tested by just over 429,000 .

As Britain sought to assemble its coronavirus testing programme, all the usual rules were broken.
In their effort to release rapid data to show the increase in testing capacity, officials from Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) "hand-cranked" the numbers to ensure a constant stream of rising test numbers were available for each day's press conference, Sky News has been told.
An internal audit later confirmed that some of those figures simply didn't add up.
Image: Testing updates became a feature of Downing Street's coronavirus briefings
According to multiple sources, the data collection was carried out in such a chaotic manner that we may never know for sure how many people have been tested for coronavirus.
"We completely buffed the system," says a senior Whitehall figure.
"We said: forget the conventions, we're putting [this data] out."
Sky News has learned that in the early days of mass COVID-19 testing, the statistical problems were so deep that one minister sat at their desk with Excel spreadsheets in front of them, calling round to try to collect data to use in each daily press conference.
Even as Health Secretary Matt Hancock struggled to get the number of tests carried out up to 100,000 a day by the end of April, the collection of those testing statistics was still so primitive that they were being compiled with pen and paper.
Sky News has uncovered hand-written tables of testing data, allegedly from mid-May, which show national testing figures for different parts of the operation.
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Image: A handwritten tally of testing figures
The government is still struggling to get a handle on the testing data.
Late last week, it admitted that there was significant double-counting in those early testing statistics, saying the total number of cases in the UK was 30,000 fewer than its original data claimed.
Over the weekend, it said that it would no longer publish a daily estimate of how many people had been tested for the disease.
And while it has insisted that many of these problems are historic and have now been addressed, question marks over the data on testing continue to bedevil the government.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, it was forced to revise its estimate of the number of tests carried out yet again, eliminating another 10,000 tests which had been double-counted in the original data, then adding back another 20,000 tests yesterday.
It is the latest chapter of a fraught saga which goes back to the early days of the pandemic.
It is a saga which can now be told in the fullest detail yet.
This account is a product of dozens of conversations with individuals involved in the testing programme, including practitioners, managers, technologists and government officials - most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.
The picture that emerges is of government departments, agencies and their consultants struggling to navigate a maze of different computer systems, and a Byzantine pathology sector, of flawed decision-making based on targets rather than sustainable systems.
The upshot was that in its early months, both the testing system and the data produced by it were simply "not fit for purpose", according to one senior official.
That matters because testing, and the data produced by a testing programme, are a crucial part of the response to the pandemic. Without a quick, reliable testing programme Britain will struggle to combat any future upsurge in COVID-19 cases.
Without the data that comes from it, authorities will struggle to assemble their response, be that local lockdowns or the administration of forensic quarantine programmes.
If that data is not trusted, there is no guarantee that those lockdowns will be obeyed. In short, the programme and its data are the most potent defence against a second wave of coronavirus cases.
For an illustration, one need only look at Leicester, where the lockdown has been extended locally because of an upsurge in cases in the city.
Image: The Leicester lockdown illustrates the problem of getting clear, quick data
Such local lockdowns are likely to become more commonplace in the coming months as public health officials battle flare-ups. However, the Leicester episode also underlined another ongoing problem: a lack of clear, quick data.
Local officials said they had only been provided with postcode-level data on cases on 25 June, just days before the lockdown was announced.
And while DHSC insists that some postcode-level data on cases was provided to local authorities on an ad hoc basis from mid-June, and stresses that it has worked closely with Leicester City Council, the episode underlines the continuing struggles over data as the government works to unpick the errors baked into the system at the start.
Government sources insist the system is improving, pointing to small but significant changes in the way information is recorded and reported.
Late last week, NHS Test and Trace was able to announce some statistics on turnaround times for tests. For the first time since May it is now publishing the number of people being tested, albeit on a weekly rather than a daily basis, and without providing a cumulative number since the outbreak of the disease.
Some of the early double counting is being gradually removed, but DHSC has acknowledged that there is more to come. In its update to the statistics yesterday it said: "Due to data not being made available, it's likely that pillar 2 numbers for the 7 July are over-reported. The figures will be revised, once the necessary data has been made available this week."
Image: The government has been accused of aiming for 'the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding'
It is the latest evidence of the difficulties officials continue to have in putting numbers on the test and trace system, which was assigned a further £10 billion of funding by the Chancellor this week.
There have been concerns with Britain's testing data for some time.
Last month, Sir David Norgrove, the chair of the UK Statistics Authority, wrote to Mr Hancock and warned that "the figures (on testing) are still far from complete and comprehensible".
He told him: "The way the data are analysed and presented currently gives them limited value... The aim seems to be to show the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding."
But it turns out the problems with data over-testing went far deeper than is evident from the Statistics Authority letter.
They were a consequence of a system which, according to Sky News sources, was born out of chaos, where little thought was given to the kinds of data collection practices which are expected of most government enterprises.
Those problems began early on in the pandemic, with two fateful decisions about the way Britain's testing infrastructure would be arranged.
When news first broke of the virus in China at the turn of the year, the working plan at DHSC was to rely on PHE and its existing network of testing facilities.
Britain's pathology sector is not lavishly funded, but it has tried and tested practices that ensure results are delivered quickly and are usually fed back into medical records.
However, in the first three months of the year, PHE struggled to increase testing capacity at its labs - to the enormous frustration of central government.
"It was a risk," says one senior source.
"We bet on red. And it came up black. The Germans were lucky. They had lots of machines lying around and a system in place. We had next to nothing.
"This country's pharmaceutical industry has a real advantage when it comes to 'high science' - blockbuster drug development, biotech and so on - the sexy stuff. But we're far less focused on the unsexy end: diagnostics, where we tend to buy the kit in from abroad.
"That was a massive problem. Many of the NHS pathology labs are effectively cottage industries, cooking up tests by the day. They weren't equipped for what was coming their way."
Image: There was a 'massive problem' as NHS pathology labs were poorly prepared, says a senior source
Many working in NHS pathology labs reject that characterisation.
They argue that if the government had turned to them, then testing would be in a far better position - and point to their successes as proof.
Others working in academic labs say they offered their services to the government and PHE to push up testing capacity.
But in March, the government decided to reject those advances and set up an entirely separate network of testing sites and facilities, run in large part by commercial partners.
It was a bold, disruptive move in the face of what was seen as foot-dragging by PHE and NHS labs, but multiple sources from inside government, from labs and from the technology sector told Sky News it was this move more than any other that set in motion the problems with testing results and data that have plagued the system ever since.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:50 Early testing is main thing I would improve - Professor Whitty
Leaving PHE in charge of the "core" tests for hospitals and key health workers, which it now labelled "Pillar 1", it conceived of a mammoth new testing programme for the general public, with a network of "Lighthouse Laboratories" around the country.
This centralised testing scheme was named "Pillar 2" and would encompass home-testing kits and drive-in and walk-in centres around the country.
Having made testing an internal priority, on 2 April the health secretary doubled down with a public pledge to raise the number of daily tests to 100,000.
At that stage there were barely more than 10,000 tests a day being carried out, but Mr Hancock gambled that with the new Pillar 2 system being hastily set up, it was just possible to meet the target by the end of the month.
That target was the second fateful decision: from that point most of the focus in Whitehall was on hitting 100,000 as quickly as possible.
In the face of the unprecedented outbreak, less thought and time than usual was given to putting in place the systems and safeguards that would ensure test results could be robustly reported and tabulated into the data that would help inform Britain's response to COVID-19.
Quantity trumped quality.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:22 Hancock: Aim is 100,000 daily COVID-19 tests
A host of departments and consortia were engaged.
Deloitte was contracted to set up the booking system - everything from the digital infrastructure (websites, portals and booking systems) to the coding that would associate an individual with their testing vial.
Amazon was brought in to manage logistics and the army was asked to help out in operating some of those test centres.
It was a gargantuan operation which did indeed push up testing numbers rapidly, but as it expanded, those involved found it even more difficult to keep track of the crucial statistics.
Image: As testing ramped up it became harder to monitor crucial statistics
Even in the absence of human error, managing a testing programme is a demanding logistical challenge, involving a chain with many points of fragility.
Consider a home testing kit. Nearly three million of these tests have been mailed out to households around the UK.
Each contains a swab, a vial, some packaging, and a lengthy 16-page booklet of instructions about how to self-administer the test.
Having taken a sample from their throat and nose, the individual must then attach a barcode to the vial the correct way round, put it in the packaging and send it back to one of the Lighthouse Labs.
Since the tests are time-sensitive, if it doesn't arrive within 48 hours the results could be invalid.
When the vial reaches the test centres another crucial chain of events begins: the vial needs to be assigned to a specific place in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, where the test itself takes place.
Sometimes mistakes happen at this stage: the vials are dropped or contaminants are introduced.
Sometimes tests have to be reprocessed.
But even if the test is done perfectly and the result is delivered quickly, without the associated data it quickly loses meaning.
Image: The NHS home testing kit
According to one senior source, "we had problems not just with capacity but creating an end-to-end process".
They said: "Deloitte were amazing and threw together something extraordinary in weeks.
"But in the early days there's no doubt it was chaotic. A bag of tests would arrive on a given night and we wouldn't know where it came from".
Image: If tests don't arrive at a Lighthouse Lab within 48 hours the result may be invalid
Deloitte, whose consulting arm has worked on similar schemes in other countries, created a database which would collect as many of these datapoints as possible - down to whether a vial was dropped or spoiled.
According to insiders, it now connects directly to labs - via a data transfer system called the National Pathology Exchange (NPEx) - so that data is in the hands of the NHS.
But that arrangement took time to get up and running, and even in recent weeks doctors say they have struggled to get the data they need.
Tom Lewis, a doctor who oversees testing at North Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, says that when tests are carried out by his own labs the results come back within 12 hours.
Most importantly, those results are tied to crucial data points: they are filed alongside each person's unique NHS number, forming a permanent, traceable record of their coronavirus status.
By contrast, when tests are done by the national system, the results take far longer to arrive, in large part because the tests need to be transported to the Lighthouse Labs before processing.
Worryingly, those crucial data points, including links with an NHS number, are not routinely collected - making it extremely difficult to reconcile the test results with a given individual and their accompanying medical records.
This helps explain why DHSC was unable for many weeks to publish data for the number of people tested in England.
Dr Lewis said the data problems are particularly acute when he attempts to get confirmation of test results for his staff from Pillar 2 centres.
In order to verify that a staff member has been tested, he has been forced to ask for screenshots, which he then enters manually into an Excel spreadsheet.
Handling an outbreak at a care home, he was unable to find out who had been tested and what the results were.
"You know things have happened and you don't know when and to whom," he says. "It's a mess, a total mess."
The number of tests conducted by North Devon Hospital are tiny compared with the national scheme, but Dr Lewis says it could have been the basis for something much bigger, if only the increased capacity was linked to existing infrastructure.
As evidence, he points to the fact that he sends some swabs to a larger teaching hospital in Exeter - but because each test is linked to an NHS number, it is recorded, traced, and made easily accessible as soon as it is done.
"The government system could have worked exactly the same way, if you had done it right," he says. "But instead they got management consultants and the military to sort it out."
Many of those Sky News has talked to referred back to that fateful decision to reject the offers of help from the existing lab community - both in hospitals and the academic sector - as one of the moments things started to go wrong.
Those in government say there was simply no other way to raise testing capacity comfortably into six figures, though they acknowledge that Pillar 1 testing has increased its capacity well beyond what anyone expected in March.
Even there, there were still problems as people scrambled to meet the health secretary's target.
"There were multiple test formats, multiple outputs, multiple different barcodes," said a senior manager in the Pillar 1 testing sector.
"We had one testing lab operating on one type of barcode system, hospitals on another, then another barcode system altogether in a different lab. These systems are extraordinarily complicated - and doing that at scale - well, it's no surprise there were so many problems.
"But the real problem was: there were too few people at the very top who understood the nature of the tests they were dealing with."
Image: Multiple test formats and barcodes are said to have caused problems
Still, while those working in the established testing sector had reliable ways of turning their results into overall data, Deloitte struggled to do so from the early days of the Lighthouse Labs of Pillar 2, according to one senior technologist who witnessed the testing scheme in operation.
"It was literally done on pen and paper; we were startled by how primitive the data collection process was," they said.
"It was barbaric. There were hundreds of people working on this new system, yet the national test results were being literally hand-written."
Sky News has seen one of those hand-written tables of test results, compiling results from regional testing sites and mobile testing units around the country.
Those involved argue that staff may have written out testing data with pen and paper - but say that such notes were likely to have been backups for electronic records, which were collected manually before a digital platform was put in place in mid-April.
However, that hand-written table allegedly dates from mid-May, when the system was already up in place.
And in the rush to get figures out, there were few checks being made at the very top to ensure nothing was falling through the cracks.
Image: The note is said to date from mid-May
"We were committed to publishing data on a daily basis," said a senior source at DHSC.
"None of it was properly audited. You can't throw up a new system in a few weeks and expect it to be perfect."
The Statistics Authority and Office for Statistics Regulation ask government statistics providers to try to follow the statistical code of conduct.
It stipulates: "Statistics must be the best available estimate of what they aim to measure, and should not mislead. To achieve this the data must be relevant, the methods must be sound and the assurance around the outputs must be clear."
Departmental insiders privately admit that it fell foul of this requirement.
"Normally when the government publishes data it takes three months to get the system approved," said the Whitehall figure.
"We didn't have that kind of time. So we completely buffed the system. We said: 'Forget the conventions, we're putting things out'. We didn't want to be accused of a lack of transparency.
"In doing so we probably broke some of the rules. But I don't think there was some wild cover-up."
Sky News has been told that while ministers were well aware of these problems with the data, they were nonetheless actively pushing to get that data released.
In the early days of the programme, one minister themselves phoned around to get numbers to add to Excel spreadsheets to produce each day's testing figure.
Come the end of April, Mr Hancock was able to claim that his target of 100,000 tests per day had been carried out - but only because the DHSC included thousands of tests that had been mailed out to households around the country.
The target was met but at some cost, with the majority of the test kits sent out to households not returned for processing.
According to DHSC data, some 4 million kits have been sent out since late April, but 2.6 million tests have not yet been processed - around two in three of every home kit.
Even after the target had been hit, officials pushed on, producing statistics each day on the number of tests and the number of people tested.
Then, on 23 May, DHSC abruptly stopped publishing any numbers on how many people had been tested.
It removed the data series from its website, saying: "Due to technical difficulties with data collection we cannot provide people tested figures today."
Image: Gaps remain despite improvements under the Test and Trace system
This week it confirmed that it would no longer produce those statistics each day, pointing people towards a weekly measure of people tested from the new Test and Trace programme instead.
However, it still has yet to produce a cumulative number for people tested.
In May, DHSC recruited Baroness Dido Harding, former chief executive of telecom company TalkTalk, to manage the NHS Test and Trace programme.
Following the series of letters with the Statistics Authority, she undertook to improve the collection of statistics - and, in recent weeks, new information has started to trickle out.
Gaps remain. Test and Trace is not able to say how fast many tests in care homes are done, for instance, as these are conducted by pharmaceutical company Randox, which uses a different system to manage its records.
Yet insiders report a slow but steady improvement in the flow of data through the system.
Image: Conway testing piece gfx
However, there are still serious gaps. Asked whether it knew how many people had been tested in total since the disease reached the UK, DHSC said more than 11 million tests had been delivered, with a capacity to carry out more then 300,000 a day.
Asked repeatedly to respond to the main claims in this piece, about problems with data, about poor standards of collection and double counting, it added: "Throughout the pandemic, we have been transparent about our response to coronavirus and are always looking to improve the data we publish, including the way we update testing statistics.
"We have engaged with the Office of National Statistics and the Office for Statistics Regulation on our new approach to these publications and will continue to work closely with them as we develop these figures."
Deloitte, meanwhile, declined to comment.
But inside the department, there is an acknowledgement that for all the recent improvements in data gathering, the early mistakes may never be erased.
As one senior insider put it: "There's a growing recognition that we may never know for sure what happened with many of those early tests.
"We will probably never know how many people have been tested for the virus."
In the wake of this article's publication, DHSC published a new data series of the number of people tested for Coronavirus going back to January.
These new data shows that the cumulative number of people tested between the end of January and late May was just under 2 million, split evenly between pillars one and two.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-09--High-risk workers with no coronavirus symptoms to be tested

Thousands of workers whose jobs put them at higher risk of catching coronavirus will be tested even if they have no symptoms .
Taxi drivers , cleaners and retail assistants will be part of the pilot .
The Department of Health said it was to see if there is demand for testing among these kinds of workers , and to examine how they are affected by COVID-19 .
Businesses including taxi firm Addison Lee , BT , services company Mitie and pharmacy giant Boots have agreed for their employees to be part of the scheme .
Councils in Bradford , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ select groups of people deemed to be high-risk for asymptomatic testing .
It came as the latest figures show the test and trace system is reaching fewer people .
In the seven days up to Wednesday 1 July , 22.6 % of people with COVID-19 referred to it were not spoken to by contact tracers - a slight rise on the 22.1 % the system missed the previous week .
Of those contacted , 29.2 % still did not have their close contacts reached and told to self isolate - a rise from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system informs how ministers plan to ease the nationwide lockdown , with anyone who gets a positive coronavirus test referred to a contact tracer who collects details for those they may have passed the virus on to and then gets in touch to advise them to self-isolate and get tested too .
But a mobile app able to track other people someone with COVID-19 may have infected , such as strangers next to them in a park , is still some way off .
Boris Johnson promised a `` world-beating '' test and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app is now not expected to be delivered until the autumn .
The prime minister has also come under fire for claiming there `` is n't one '' country in the world with a `` functioning contact tracing app '' - despite contact tracing apps already being available in countries like Germany , France , Australia , Singapore and Latvia .
The latest test and trace figures mean almost a quarter of people still are n't being reached , which is a source of some concern .
Government officials say that to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach into local communities , working with faith groups , local radio stations and community leaders .
All that means any further improvement will be slow .
However , a bigger concern for officials is the number of people coming forward for tests at all .
Test and trace surveys suggest that less than 50 % of people do n't know that everyone is eligible for a test .
You have to wonder why there is n't a huge national campaign advertising that fact - but perhaps it is on its way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of numbers .
More data is being published with each passing week , which is important not just for accountability , but also because it means test and trace can access it .
Passing data to the right places is one of the keys to rapid contact tracing , so this is another positive sign - although of course council leaders say that much more still remains to be done .

Thousands of workers whose jobs put them at higher risk of catching coronavirus will be tested even if they have no symptoms.
Taxi drivers, cleaners and retail assistants will be part of the pilot.
The Department of Health said it was to see if there is demand for testing among these kinds of workers, and to examine how they are affected by COVID-19.
Image: Four councils are also joining the asymptomatic test pilot
Businesses including taxi firm Addison Lee, BT, services company Mitie and pharmacy giant Boots have agreed for their employees to be part of the scheme.
Councils in Bradford, Newham, Brent and Oldham will also select groups of people deemed to be high-risk for asymptomatic testing.
It came as the latest figures show the test and trace system is reaching fewer people.
In the seven days up to Wednesday 1 July, 22.6% of people with COVID-19 referred to it were not spoken to by contact tracers - a slight rise on the 22.1% the system missed the previous week.
Of those contacted, 29.2% still did not have their close contacts reached and told to self isolate - a rise from 25.8% the previous week.
Image: The test and trace system is still missing at least 22.6% of people with the virus
The system informs how ministers plan to ease the nationwide lockdown, with anyone who gets a positive coronavirus test referred to a contact tracer who collects details for those they may have passed the virus on to and then gets in touch to advise them to self-isolate and get tested too.
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But a mobile app able to track other people someone with COVID-19 may have infected, such as strangers next to them in a park, is still some way off.
Boris Johnson promised a "world-beating" test and trace system by June - but the app is now not expected to be delivered until the autumn.
The prime minister has also come under fire for claiming there "isn't one" country in the world with a "functioning contact tracing app" - despite contact tracing apps already being available in countries like Germany, France, Australia, Singapore and Latvia.
Image: Boris Johnson promised a 'world-beating' test, track and trace system
Analysis by Rowland Manthorpe, technology correspondent
The latest test and trace figures mean almost a quarter of people still aren't being reached, which is a source of some concern.
Government officials say that to bring that number up, they will need to reach into local communities, working with faith groups, local radio stations and community leaders. All that means any further improvement will be slow.
However, a bigger concern for officials is the number of people coming forward for tests at all.
Test and trace surveys suggest that less than 50% of people don't know that everyone is eligible for a test. You have to wonder why there isn't a huge national campaign advertising that fact - but perhaps it is on its way.
The other improvement comes in the number of numbers.
More data is being published with each passing week, which is important not just for accountability, but also because it means test and trace can access it.
Passing data to the right places is one of the keys to rapid contact tracing, so this is another positive sign - although of course council leaders say that much more still remains to be done.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-09--Beauty salons to reopen from Monday as gyms and indoor pools follow on 25 July

Beauty salons , tanning shops and tattooists can reopen in England from Monday , the government has said , while gyms and indoor swimming pools will be allowed to let customers return later this month .
In a further easing of lockdown restrictions , outdoor swimming pools can reopen from Saturday and indoor gyms , swimming pools , dance studios and sports like badminton and volleyball from 25 July .
Outdoor arts performances - including theatres , opera , dance and music - will also be able to resume from this weekend , although audience numbers will be restricted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here are the key dates : • Theatres , opera , dance and music to resume outdoors from this weekend • Club cricket to return from Saturday , with other outdoor recreational sports to follow later • Beauticians , tattooists , spas and tanning salons to reopen from Monday • Indoor gyms , swimming pools and dance studios to return from 25 July '' Having allowed hairdressers to reopen , beauticians , tattooists , spas , tanning salons and other close contact services can now do the same , I 'm pleased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course that will be subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services . ''
There will be restrictions on numbers in gyms and pools and people will be encouraged to shower and change at home where possible , though changing rooms will be open .
But Mr Dowden said face coverings would not need to be worn in gyms .
`` We have not taken a decision to require the wearing of face masks in respect of gyms , '' he said .
Club cricket can resume from this Saturday , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubhouse bars will be able to open , subject to social distancing rules .
Guidance has been published to enable competitive grassroots team sports to resume - but each individual sport will have to submit an action plan to the government on how they will operate before they can be approved to restart .
For outdoor sports like cricket , supporters will also be allowed to attend in small numbers provided they are in groups of two households only , or no larger than six people from different households , and adhere to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street briefing , Mr Dowden deployed a new slogan in the coronavirus fight , saying it is now time to `` work out to help out '' .
He said : `` I 'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part : buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals , get to your local gallery and support your local businesses .
`` Our fight began with a collective effort and I really hope it will end with one .
`` At the beginning we all stayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save lives , now the British public has a new part to play .
It 's time to eat out to help out , to enjoy the arts to help out and to work out to help out .
`` It 's over to all of you to help the country recover safely . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The culture secretary said the government was also changing the planning rules to protect theatres , concert halls and live music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from demolition or change of use .
Leisure centres and indoor gyms , along with swimming pools and other indoor sports facilities , have been closed since Saturday 21 March as part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
Outdoor gyms were permitted to reopen from 4 July while following social distancing .

Beauty salons, tanning shops and tattooists can reopen in England from Monday, the government has said, while gyms and indoor swimming pools will be allowed to let customers return later this month.
In a further easing of lockdown restrictions, outdoor swimming pools can reopen from Saturday and indoor gyms, swimming pools, dance studios and sports like badminton and volleyball from 25 July.
Outdoor arts performances - including theatres, opera, dance and music - will also be able to resume from this weekend, although audience numbers will be restricted and will be subject to social distancing rules.
Here are the key dates:
Outdoor pools to reopen from Saturday
Theatres, opera, dance and music to resume outdoors from this weekend
Club cricket to return from Saturday, with other outdoor recreational sports to follow later
Beauticians, tattooists, spas and tanning salons to reopen from Monday
Indoor gyms, swimming pools and dance studios to return from 25 July
Image: Gyms have put measures in place to ensure social distancing
"Normal life is slowly returning," Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told a Downing Street news conference.
"Having allowed hairdressers to reopen, beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close contact services can now do the same, I'm pleased to say, from Monday.
"Of course that will be subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services."
There will be restrictions on numbers in gyms and pools and people will be encouraged to shower and change at home where possible, though changing rooms will be open.
Image: A gym in Northumberland moved equipment into the car park so classes could be held outdoors
But Mr Dowden said face coverings would not need to be worn in gyms.
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"We have not taken a decision to require the wearing of face masks in respect of gyms," he said.
Club cricket can resume from this Saturday, with a limited number of spectators allowed and clubhouse bars will be able to open, subject to social distancing rules.
Guidance has been published to enable competitive grassroots team sports to resume - but each individual sport will have to submit an action plan to the government on how they will operate before they can be approved to restart.
For outdoor sports like cricket, supporters will also be allowed to attend in small numbers provided they are in groups of two households only, or no larger than six people from different households, and adhere to social distancing measures.
Image: Hairdressers in England were allowed to reopen from 4 July
At the Downing Street briefing, Mr Dowden deployed a new slogan in the coronavirus fight, saying it is now time to "work out to help out".
He said: "I'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part: buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses.
"Our fight began with a collective effort and I really hope it will end with one.
"At the beginning we all stayed at home to protect the NHS and save lives, now the British public has a new part to play. It's time to eat out to help out, to enjoy the arts to help out and to work out to help out.
"It's over to all of you to help the country recover safely."
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The culture secretary said the government was also changing the planning rules to protect theatres, concert halls and live music venues forced to close during the pandemic from demolition or change of use.
Leisure centres and indoor gyms, along with swimming pools and other indoor sports facilities, have been closed since Saturday 21 March as part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Outdoor gyms were permitted to reopen from 4 July while following social distancing.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-09--What beauty treatments can I get? Will I have to wear a mask in the gym?

The government has announced the latest easing of England 's lockdown , with beauty salons , gyms , leisure centres and pools allowed to reopen this month .
What beauty treatments can I get from Monday ?
The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology ( BABTAC ) - which has been working with the government on the reopening of the beauty sector - said treatments on the body such as manicures , pedicures , leg or bikini waxing will be allowed to go ahead when salons reopen from Monday .
Beard trimming will also be allowed , but should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thinning or removing bulk or length which can be done using either clippers or scissors '' , BABTAC said .
Intricate detailing , outlining or shaving of beards/moustaches that involves prolonged periods near the `` high-risk zone '' directly in front of the client 's face should not be carried out .
What beauty treatments ca n't I get ?
BABTAC said treatments on the face will not be permitted when salons reopen .
This includes , but is not limited to : Salon workers are advised that treatments or services provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in front of the client 's face are the most risky in terms of catching or spreading coronavirus , because splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth are present , even when they ca n't be seen .
Can I use the changing rooms at the gym when they reopen ?
Government guidance published ahead of the reopening of gyms and leisure centres on 25 July states that venues `` should encourage attendees to arrive at the facility in sports kit and where possible to travel home to change/shower '' .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should in general be avoided where possible although these must be available for participants with disabilities or special needs and are likely to be needed after swimming , '' it adds .
Venues are also encouraged not to play music at a volume that makes normal conversation difficult due to the potential for increased risk of transmission - particularly from aerosol and droplet transmission - if people need to raise their voices .
Will I have to wear a face mask when I work out ?
When announcing the reopening of gyms from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said gym-goers would not need to wear face coverings .
`` We have not taken a decision to require the wearing of face masks in respect of gyms , '' he said .
He stressed a `` whole series of mitigating measures '' would be in place in gyms .
Will saunas or steam rooms be open ?
The government says saunas and steam rooms should stay out of use for the time being as the risk of transmission is unclear .
Guidance also says the use of shared objects such as towels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rackets , balls , scoring equipment , or sports clothing should be avoided unless they can be cleaned or sanitised between users .
Venues are also told to ensure any water fountains have signage which prohibits face-to-tap drinking and to stress these facilities are used only to refill personal bottles .
Gyms and leisure centres are being encouraged , where possible , to facilitate social distancing by limiting the overall number of customers .
: : Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each gym should be limited by providing a minimum of 100sqft per person of the net usable gym space , including changing rooms , toilet and wash facilities .
Will I have to social distance in a swimming pool ?
Government guidance states that swimming pools , when they reopen on 25 July , should restrict numbers to allow 3sqm per bather .
Will I have to give my name when using a pool or gym ?
Venues are being told to keep a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home phone number , mobile number , and date and times of entry and exit .
This is so each person can be contacted if there is a case of COVID-19 connected to the facility .
Can I get the train or the bus to the gym or pool ?
Despite the easing of the UK 's lockdown , the government is still advising people to consider all other forms of transport before using public transport .
Mr Dowden said on Thursday : `` This is one of the reasons why we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like cycling , walking , other forms of exercise ... but we have said all the way through that if there is n't another alternative , then you should use public transport wearing a mask and taking the other mitigating measures as necessary . ''

The government has announced the latest easing of England's lockdown, with beauty salons, gyms, leisure centres and pools allowed to reopen this month.
What beauty treatments can I get from Monday?
The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) - which has been working with the government on the reopening of the beauty sector - said treatments on the body such as manicures, pedicures, leg or bikini waxing will be allowed to go ahead when salons reopen from Monday.
Beard trimming will also be allowed, but should be limited to "simple beard trims, thinning or removing bulk or length which can be done using either clippers or scissors", BABTAC said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:22 'Normal life is slowly returning'
Intricate detailing, outlining or shaving of beards/moustaches that involves prolonged periods near the "high-risk zone" directly in front of the client's face should not be carried out.
What beauty treatments can't I get?
BABTAC said treatments on the face will not be permitted when salons reopen.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Face waxing, sugaring or threading services
Facial treatments
Advanced facial (electrical or mechanical)
Eyelash treatments
Make-up application
Dermarolling
Dermaplaning
Microblading
Electrolysis on the face
Eyebrow treatments
Salon workers are advised that treatments or services provided in the "high-risk zone" directly in front of the client's face are the most risky in terms of catching or spreading coronavirus, because splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth are present, even when they can't be seen.
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Can I use the changing rooms at the gym when they reopen?
No.
Government guidance published ahead of the reopening of gyms and leisure centres on 25 July states that venues "should encourage attendees to arrive at the facility in sports kit and where possible to travel home to change/shower".
"Use of changing rooms and showering facilities should in general be avoided where possible although these must be available for participants with disabilities or special needs and are likely to be needed after swimming," it adds.
Venues are also encouraged not to play music at a volume that makes normal conversation difficult due to the potential for increased risk of transmission - particularly from aerosol and droplet transmission - if people need to raise their voices.
Will I have to wear a face mask when I work out?
When announcing the reopening of gyms from 25 July, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said gym-goers would not need to wear face coverings.
"We have not taken a decision to require the wearing of face masks in respect of gyms," he said.
He stressed a "whole series of mitigating measures" would be in place in gyms.
Will saunas or steam rooms be open?
No.
The government says saunas and steam rooms should stay out of use for the time being as the risk of transmission is unclear.
Guidance also says the use of shared objects such as towels, robes, balls, weights, rackets, balls, scoring equipment, or sports clothing should be avoided unless they can be cleaned or sanitised between users.
Venues are also told to ensure any water fountains have signage which prohibits face-to-tap drinking and to stress these facilities are used only to refill personal bottles.
Will numbers be limited?
Gyms and leisure centres are being encouraged, where possible, to facilitate social distancing by limiting the overall number of customers.
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Guidance states that the maximum occupancy of each gym should be limited by providing a minimum of 100sq ft per person of the net usable gym space, including changing rooms, toilet and wash facilities.
Will I have to social distance in a swimming pool?
Government guidance states that swimming pools, when they reopen on 25 July, should restrict numbers to allow 3sq m per bather.
Will I have to give my name when using a pool or gym?
Yes.
Venues are being told to keep a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days, by collecting each attendee's name, home phone number, mobile number, and date and times of entry and exit.
Image: Numbers may be limited in swimming pools
This is so each person can be contacted if there is a case of COVID-19 connected to the facility.
Can I get the train or the bus to the gym or pool?
Despite the easing of the UK's lockdown, the government is still advising people to consider all other forms of transport before using public transport.
Mr Dowden said on Thursday: "This is one of the reasons why we've had such an intense drive on things like cycling, walking, other forms of exercise... but we have said all the way through that if there isn't another alternative, then you should use public transport wearing a mask and taking the other mitigating measures as necessary."