LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Britain&aposs COVID-19 test and trace programme has not had the impact the government wanted but it is improving, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday.

"I understand people&aposs frustrations with NHS test and trace and it has come in for a lot of criticism and clearly it has taken too long for people to get their results sometimes, but they are improving," he told a media conference.

"Yes, it hasn&apost had as much impact as we would have wanted, but there&aposs no doubt that by identifying people who have the disease, identifying the localities where people have the disease, we&aposve been able to get the R (rate) down in a way that I don&apost think we would otherwise have done."