A leading public health expert has criticised the SNP’s lack of transparency over Test and Protect data. 

On today’s Good Morning Scotland, the Edinburgh University professor, Linda Bauld, said the SNP government’s lack of transparency over the Test and Protect figures means that there is a “missing piece in the jigsaw” in Scotland.

She argued data must be made available on the percentage of contacts per positive case that had been successfully reached, the time taken to reach the individual, and if follow-up contact occurs for those who are asked to isolate.

Professor Bauld, chair of public health at the Usher Institute, also said that while the data is ‘very variable’, up to 20 people have been traced per Covid case in other countries, whereas only three people have been traced on average in Scotland.

Scottish Conservative health spokesperson, Donald Cameron MSP, said: “It is not acceptable that Scotland’s public health experts have to practically beg the SNP to provide the necessary data.

“Tackling this virus requires an honest, open approach. We will only stop the spread of Covid with every expert at Scotland’s disposal working together using all the available information.

“We can’t have a situation where public health experts are forced to cobble together what they can from limited data.

“This is more evidence of a troubling pattern of behaviour from the SNP on transparency. We have seen a similar approach over the SQA grade methodology, Salmond inquiry documents, and now, worst of all, vital Test and Protect information.”