Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS test and trace system will be (a) inclusive and (b) accessible for disabled people.

We aim to ensure that the NHS Test and Trace system is accessible for all groups in society. Equality assessments have been undertaken to inform policy decisions to implement the system and, in line with our legal duties, we continue to assess impact as NHS Test and Trace is rolled out. We will make ongoing improvements to ensure the system is fully inclusive and accessible to all.

Work to date has included ensuring the Coronavirus Testing Call Centre can be accessed by people with hearing or speech difficulties, putting in place a home testing service so that those who cannot leave the home are able to access testing, using clinical contact tracers to conduct telephone interviews with those who do not use the internet, developing guidance for unpaid carers on administering tests for others, and ensuring local services are in place for vulnerable people who may need additional support when self-isolating.