Looks Like They Have Finally Found A Use For The NHS App

TwelveAngryMen

Well-known member
The NHS app will be converted into a digital Covid-19 certificate allowing people to use their phone to prove that they have been vaccinated or tested negative.

No 10 is considering allowing businesses to demand to see the app to ensure that staff or customers are at a much lower risking of being infectious.
Michael Gove will lead a review into the “deep and complex” issues around vaccine passports, which the government is considering again after previously branding them discriminatory.

It is understood that the government wants to give people the option of showing either vaccination status or test results to ensure that the scheme not does penalise those who cannot receive the vaccine for health reasons.

Health chiefs are looking at using the existing NHS app to offer an easy way for people to show that they have been vaccinated or recently tested. While the NHS contact tracing app is considered unsuitable because its design favours privacy, officials believe that the standard NHS appointment booking app would be relatively straightforward to use.

The app already allows people to see their medical records — including Covid-19 vaccinations — and test results are shared with the GP databases it uses, making it feasible to upload and access them quickly.

Health bosses say it is a “mix of ethical and clinical questions” that the review needs to answer, rather than technical ones. This could include whether people could input and verify the results of a lateral flow test carried out at home.

The government is also considering broader questions about whether people could be denied jobs if they could not prove their Covid-19 status, or refused entry to theatres, pubs or other public places.

Boris Johnson said yesterday that “the fervent libertarians will reject [the app] but other people will think there’s a case for it”, insisting that Gove would be “getting the best scientific, moral, philosophical and ethical viewpoints on it and will work out a way forward”.

The review will report before the June 21 date pencilled in for a full reopening of the economy and Johnson said yesterday: “There are deep and complex issues that we need to explore, and ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating or for people to have such a thing, or indeed in banning people doing such a thing. We can’t be discriminatory against people who for whatever reason can’t have the vaccine.”

However, No 10 believes that including test results would get round this problem and requiring a recent negative result would be another way of showing that someone is at much lower risk of passing on the virus if allowed to attend a festival or other crowded place. Neither that nor vaccination is regarded as 100 per cent proof that someone cannot be infectious.

In November the head of Test and Trace, Baroness Harding of Winscombe, said that she was “working very closely with the vaccine team to make sure that as we build tools that will enable people to be testing themselves at home . . . we build an integrated data architecture so that you have the opportunity in the future to be able to have a single record as a citizen of your test results and whether you’ve been vaccinated”.

The NHS app uses facial verification technology developed by iProov, a company that was given a £75,000 grant by the arms-length government agency InnovateUK to look into vaccine passports.

Speaking to The Times before the government’s review of Covid-19 status certification was announced, Andrew Bud, iProov’s chief executive, said that the department of health and social care had a “pivotal role” to play in deciding whether it was willing to allow its existing databases to be used to develop vaccine certificates.

He said that the existing vaccination data displayed on an individual’s profile in the app was not sufficient to amount to a secure certificate, however. “The idea that you can just hold up your NHS app and go ‘that’s my certificate’ is wrong,” Bud said, because it would be hard for individual companies to verify that somebody was presenting their own certificate rather than, for example, a screenshot of a vaccinated friend’s.

An extra layer of verification afterwards, proving that the individual has indeed been vaccinated, would be needed.


Health
NHS

Related articles​

‘Covid certificates’ could unlock mass events
CORONAVIRUS

‘Covid certificates’ could unlock mass events​

People could be asked to show a vaccine passport in order to attend a big event or go to work under plans being considered by the government. The...
February 23 2021, 9.00am
Henry Zeffman | Chris Smyth, Whitehall Editor


Scientists list tough criteria to approve passports
CORONAVIRUS

Scientists list tough criteria to approve passports​

Vaccine passports are “feasible” but there are significant hurdles that must be overcome before their widespread use, leading scientists have...
February 20 2021, 12.01am
Kat Lay, Health Editor


Hope for British holidays by Easter
CORONAVIRUS

Hope for British holidays by Easter​

Self-catered holidays could be allowed at Easter, the Welsh first minister has said, amid growing optimism that some hospitality businesses will...
February 19 2021, 12.00pm
Steven Swinford, Political Editor | Henry Zeffman, Chief Political Correspondent | Ben Clatworthy, Assistant Travel Editor | George Grylls | Anthee Carassava






Share
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nhs-app-to-be-converted-for-vaccine-passports-r0xx0mflp
https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?te...-be-converted-for-vaccine-passports-r0xx0mflp
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...-be-converted-for-vaccine-passports-r0xx0mflp
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nhs-app-to-be-converted-for-vaccine-passports-r0xx0mflp
Save
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nhs-app-to-be-converted-for-vaccine-passports-r0xx0mflp


NEXT ARTICLE
Salmond appearance at inquiry in doubt after evidence ruling
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...ood-inquiry-after-evidence-censored-lddj8r3m6
 
An important issue that needs careful handling. Personally I'm in favour, particularly where businesses see this as a route to managing their risks back to a degree of normality. Shame they've put Gove on it.
 
Not needed and by me not wanted. Vaccine take up is going to be very high, it will probably be at least 80% of those eligible to have it.
Do we really want another level of Government control and bureaucracy in our lives.
Do we want all of everyday life to be like the pain in the arse experience of travelling from an airport?
So many people wanted ever more draconian rules to be imposed during the pandemic that the government probably thinks this is a vote winner.
To be fair to Johnson I dont think he is too keen and I dont think people should be so keen to give up a part of their liberty either.
 
Not needed and by me not wanted. Vaccine take up is going to be very high, it will probably be at least 80% of those eligible to have it.
Do we really want another level of Government control and bureaucracy in our lives.
Do we want all of everyday life to be like the pain in the arse experience of travelling from an airport?
So many people wanted ever more draconian rules to be imposed during the pandemic that the government probably thinks this is a vote winner.
To be fair to Johnson I dont think he is too keen and I dont think people should be so keen to give up a part of their liberty either.
The virus and it's mutations are likely here to stay
And our liberties have been severely curtained for 12 months now
Any minor inconvenience any of us suffer to bring back a semblance of normality should be welcomed
Anyone who wants to preserve their perceived civil liberties not to be vaccinated and/or not to be required to prove that shouldn't bleat when they find themselves excluded from the lifting of certain restrictions
 
Last edited:
The virus and it's mutations are likely here to stay
And our liberties have been severely curtained for 12 months now
Any minor inconvenience any of us suffer to bring back a semblance of normality should be welcomed
Anyone who wants to preserve their perceived civil liberties not to be vaccinated and/or not to be required to prove that shouldn't bleat when they find themselves excluded from the lifting of certain restrictions
Queuing up every where to prove that you have been vaccinated along with the vast majority of the population will become more than a minor inconvenience.
For example going to watch a match at Bloomfield Road already takes too long to gain entry, getting a beer in the pub on matchday already takes too long, add a vaccine passport check to all this and we will be spending half of our Saturdays queuing!!
I'm not bothered about conspiracy theories or infringement of liberty as much as I am bothered about wasting my time on unnecessary checks and admin.
I've worked all the way through this in a busy depot and been out and about every day during the whole thing so maybe I am just not as scared by this as many homeworkers are, widespread vaccination is taking place let's just crack on and get back to normal, stop living in fear!!
Anyway sorry to bleat but I just can't be bothered by the whole waste of time that it will be.
 
If it unlocks the economy sooner (ok, I mean if it opens the pubs sooner), its a yes from me!
Just unlock them, virtually everybody will get the vaccine, waste of time and money.
When I went to large public gatherings prior to this pandemic I didn't think about catching an illness from anybody, and there have been pandemics before, so let's just get on with it from the 21st of June.
 
Last edited:
If it unlocks the economy sooner (ok, I mean if it opens the pubs sooner), its a yes from me!
I seem to remember a political party of the same shade of blue that didn’t have any problem making football supporters carry identity cards to matches once upon a time, so don’t give me the bleeding heart libertarian “moral” issue from MP’s from a certain quarter!

Not having a go at you SouthShore btw!
 
Queuing up every where to prove that you have been vaccinated along with the vast majority of the population will become more than a minor inconvenience.
For example going to watch a match at Bloomfield Road already takes too long to gain entry, getting a beer in the pub on matchday already takes too long, add a vaccine passport check to all this and we will be spending half of our Saturdays queuing!!
I'm not bothered about conspiracy theories or infringement of liberty as much as I am bothered about wasting my time on unnecessary checks and admin.
I've worked all the way through this in a busy depot and been out and about every day during the whole thing so maybe I am just not as scared by this as many homeworkers are, widespread vaccination is taking place let's just crack on and get back to normal, stop living in fear!!
Anyway sorry to bleat but I just can't be bothered by the whole waste of time that it will be.
Kind of get you 69 - like you have worked straight through in a risky environment, a hospital with multiple daily contacts with patients and a good amount Covid +
I think there are many shielding or working from home who have built up a lot of anxiety during the past year and are "scared" ,others enjoying the doss and don't want to go back - I would probably be in the latter group if I had been st home drawing 80% for less stress less graft commuting etc

However I think the passport or certificate has a lot of merit in terms of opening the economy going for a few pints going to footy, gigs and travel
I would probably go further and say if you refuse vaccine and don't have the certificate that venues and other services can refuse you access without it - draconian maybe but I am well and truly fkt off with these restrictions and we need to get the economy moving asap
 
If somebody decides not to take an injection that is their right and they should in no way be coerced like this.The government should be using legislation and protecting its citizens from companies trying this not rolling it out themselves.

injections not proven to prevent transmission as of yet so could somebody please tell me the benefit of having one of these? sounds like a power grab to me.
 
Kind of get you 69 - like you have worked straight through in a risky environment, a hospital with multiple daily contacts with patients and a good amount Covid +
I think there are many shielding or working from home who have built up a lot of anxiety during the past year and are "scared" ,others enjoying the doss and don't want to go back - I would probably be in the latter group if I had been st home drawing 80% for less stress less graft commuting etc

However I think the passport or certificate has a lot of merit in terms of opening the economy going for a few pints going to footy, gigs and travel
I would probably go further and say if you refuse vaccine and don't have the certificate that venues and other services can refuse you access without it - draconian maybe but I am well and truly fkt off with these restrictions and we need to get the economy moving asap
I agree with what you are saying except the passport/certificate bit, I just think the amount of people that don't get vaccinated is going to be so small that the vaccinated people shouldn't be bothered by it. Just open up, if you don't feel safe stay home a bit longer until you do.
I want normality, I don't want sterile environments with increased levels of beauracracy and checks.
Will these passports stay in place forever!
If the pubs and football grounds are anything like the miserable, stressful, infuriating places that airports have become then I won't even bother.
I want to push in at the bar, stand up with a pint, move around in whatever direction I want, and not fill any forms in or show apps on my phone.
21st June I want normal life back, living in fear is for sheep, the risk will be minimal.
 
Last edited:
I know what you mean about bureaucracy but it's a trade off I suppose as this situation is shite

I'm sure there is the technology available to smooth this
 
I know what you mean about bureaucracy but it's a trade off I suppose as this situation is shite

I'm sure there is the technology available to smooth this
The situation is shite but we are getting vaccinated, nearly everybody will have it. The passport brings nothing to make the situation better, just open everything up on the 21st June and get on with it.
That's my view anyway pal👍
 
If somebody decides not to take an injection that is their right and they should in no way be coerced like this.The government should be using legislation and protecting its citizens from companies trying this not rolling it out themselves.

injections not proven to prevent transmission as of yet so could somebody please tell me the benefit of having one of these? sounds like a power grab to me.
Maybe not proven but the data to date suggests so https://inews.co.uk/news/health/cov...n-data-covid-19-uk-israel-matt-hancock-881600
 
I don’t see how it could be enforced by staff, would be a nightmare for them.

Wendy at Tesco Express getting a shit load of abuse because some fellar can’t get 4 cans because he’s not got the app.

It’s a slippery slope of state control.

Do the back of the vaccine queue have to wait to go places then whilst the vulnerable who we’ve all been ‘protecting’ just get to crack on and party. Seems fair.

Then you have all the pregnant women who can’t have it, they just have to stay at home or the people that can’t have it.

Its divisive.

I’ve no problem with having it in time but the idea of getting a certificate or showing an App to get in a pub, restaurant or Sporting event isn’t for me.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top