The Government's contact tracing system ran into problems this morning minutes after its launch as it was branded a "complete shambles" by those trying to log on.
Some 25,000 contact tracers were due to start work this morning on the first day of the national rollout of the NHS test and trace programme.
But, when some logged onto the Contact Tracing Advisory Service (CTAS) portal, they were met with an error code, LBC reported.
The error read: "We are aware of a CTAS login issue for NHS professionals; this has been reported as a critical incident."
The contact tracers are making phone calls, texts and emails to track down people who have tested positive and those they have brushed with.
The Department of Health and Social Care denied that the system had crashed.
A spokesperson said: "As with all large scale operations of this kind, some staff did initially encounter issues logging on to their systems and these are rapidly being resolved."
Officials added that members of the public can still access the separate NHS Test and Trace portal to book a test if they develop symptoms.
The call handlers will inform people who have contacted an infected person to self-isolate for 14 days.
They were due to start at 9am by reaching out to the 2,013 people who tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.
But one told LBC this morning that it has been a "complete shambles" so far and claimed he had not received a password to log on.
Chris Hopson, head of NHS Providers which supplies all NHS hospitals, community and mental health services, said the Government must "manage expectations" and "stop pretending that everything is going to be fantastic on day one".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said on Wednesday that the system relied on "on people’s public spiritedness, on their willingness to cooperate and defeat the disease.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Brits that it is their "civic duty" to take part in the programme and laughed off suggestions it had been rushed through to deflect from the Dominic Cummings row.
But its launch came amid warnings that "very key parts" of the programme, like the accompanying NHSX tracing app, were still missing while MPs now say they understand that the system will not be fully operational until the end of June.
