Students have complained about the lack of communication, as have local GPs. And it was not until late on Sunday evening that UKHSA went public with the news of the cases.
Dr Pandora Frost, who works from a practice in north Kent, says she is dealing with a family of a close contact of one of the young people diagnosed with meningitis and describes it as a “shambles”.
“There should be clear guidance – at the moment we’re not sure if we should be advising contacts to be off school or to isolate. We’re totally in the dark.”
But UKHSA has defended itself. Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, a deputy director at the agency, says her teams have been working rapidly and tirelessly over the weekend and continue to do so.
“Many of these individuals are seriously unwell, so it is quite difficult to ascertain detailed timelines of exactly where they’ve been and who they’ve been in close contact with.”
But questions keep being asked. Health Secretary Wes Streeting was drawn into it when he made a statement in the House of Commons on Tuesday. He said he believes the response has been quick and competent.
However, he says once the outbreak is contained he would be asking questions. “Once we are through this, we will obviously look at the handling of the UKHSA’s response since there is always more to learn.”
Additional reporting Alex Emery