Money spent on Test and Trace couldn’t fund 15% NHS pay increase for 35 years

A number of posts claiming the money spent on the Covid-19 Test and Trace programme could fund a 15% pay rise for every NHS worker for 35 years have been shared on social media again.

Posts shared on Facebook a number of times in early July said: “The money the Tories wasted on the failed Test & Trace would have paid for a 15% pay rise for every NHS worker from now until 2058.”

And an image posted to Facebook in May contains the claim: “The money the Tories spaffed on Test & Trace would have paid for a 15% pay rise for every NHS worker from now until 2058.” This wording is identical to a viral claim we looked at in January.

These claims are not true. As we’ve written many times before, the total budget over two years for NHS Test and Trace was £37 billion,…