A VETERAN Tory MP believes “crisis trained professionals” should manage the country’s Test and Trace system.

Harwich and North Essex’s MP believes Sir Bernard Jenkin has warned that public confidence is in somewhat decline in the Government’s strategy because people have yet to see the transformation of the leadership of Test and Trace.

He said: "We need people who are crisis trained to deal with our Test and Trace system.

“Ministers are exhausted as they have been dealing with it for months."

Sir Bernard is in regular meetings with ministers about changing who is running the Test and Trace system, but admitted it is an "uphill battle".

He said: “If we transformed the leadership of Test and Trace, backed with reliable data, we would have far more co-operation and enthusiasm from the population who are worried about lockdown after lockdown.”

The senior politician also wants the Government to release a document about living through the pandemic which outlines how we can improve the Test and Trace system without “shutting down our economy”.

"What I hear about Test and Trace is that it is being run by people who are no particular experts who are overstretched and the people at the top keep changing," he added.

“We need a military general to manage it."

Test and Trace was launched across the country in May.

Last week the Government's chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance said there is "room for improvement" in the NHS Test and Trace system as its performance reached yet another record low nationally.