Guidance

[Withdrawn] NHS COVID-19 app: privacy information (easy read)

Updated 28 March 2023

This guidance was withdrawn on

皇冠体育app NHS COVID-19 app聽closed聽down on聽27 April 2023, so聽this content is out of date.

皇冠体育app app聽was聽managed by the聽UK Health Security Agency, which is an executive agency sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.聽From聽27 April 2023,聽the app is聽no聽longer聽available and聽is聽no longer collecting聽data聽or providing聽a service to app users.聽This document broadly reflects the service provided by the app during its later stages.

Your data and privacy now the app has closed down

皇冠体育app data collected by the app, which cannot identify app users, will be held in line with the retention period set out in the聽Privacy Notice for the NHS COVID-19 app.

Find out why the app has closed down and where to find the latest guidance.

Tynnwyd y cyhoeddiad hwn yn 么l ar 27 Ebrill 2023

Caeodd ap COVID-19 y GIG ar 27 Ebrill 2023 felly nid yw鈥檙 cynnwys hwn bellach yn gyfredol.

Rheolwyd yr ap gan Asiantaeth Diogelwch Iechyd y DU, sy鈥檔 asiantaeth weithredol a noddir gan yr Adran Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol.聽 O聽27聽Ebrill聽2023,聽nid聽yw聽yr聽ap聽ar聽gael聽bellach聽ac聽nid聽yw聽yn聽casglu聽data聽na聽yn聽darparu gwasanaeth聽i聽ddefnyddwyr聽apiau聽bellach.聽Mae鈥檙 ddogfen hon yn adlewyrchu鈥檔 fras y gwasanaeth a ddarperir gan yr ap yn ystod ei gamau diweddarach.

Eich data a鈥檆h preifatrwydd nawr mae鈥檙 ap wedi cau

Bydd y data a gesglir gan yr ap, na all adnabod defnyddwyr yr ap, yn cael ei gadw yn unol 芒鈥檙 cyfnod cadw a nodir yn yr聽Hysbysiad Preifatrwydd ar gyfer ap COVID-19 y GIG.

Darganfyddwch pam mae鈥檙 ap wedi cau a ble i ddod o hyd i鈥檙 canllawiau diweddaraf.

Applies to England and Wales

漏 Crown copyright 2023

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit or write to the Information Policy Team, 皇冠体育app National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at /government/publications/nhs-covid-19-app-privacy-information/nhs-covid-19-app-privacy-notice-easy-read

Introduction

皇冠体育app UK government has made an app for the NHS in England and Wales.

An app is a programme that you have on your phone to help you do something.

皇冠体育app NHS COVID-19 app will help to control the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus is an illness that is spreading around the world.

It affects your lungs and breathing.

This document tells you privacy information about the app.

It explains:

  • how the app keeps you safe

  • how the app works

  • what information the app uses

  • your rights

皇冠体育app NHS COVID-19 app

How the app keeps you safe

If a test shows you have coronavirus, you will receive advice from the app.

You will be asked to stay indoors and away from people. 皇冠体育app app will tell you for how long.

If you have any questions, please ask for help and call NHS 111.

When the test shows you have coronavirus, the app can alert other people using the app.

This helps keep everybody safe.

皇冠体育app app can alert other people without telling them who you are.

皇冠体育app app will tell you if you have been close to someone with coronavirus.

皇冠体育app app will give you advice about what to do. You may be asked to stay indoors and away from people or to take a test.

If you have any questions, please ask for help and call NHS 111.

Why you should use the app

At the moment, a person who catches coronavirus has to speak to the NHS and tell them about anyone they have been close to recently.

This means we only find out about the people you remember and already know.

It doesn鈥檛 include other people you鈥檝e been close to that you don鈥檛 know.

皇冠体育app app

皇冠体育app app can do this automatically. It can find more of the people you鈥檝e been close to and let them know.

皇冠体育app app does not use your personal information.

No one will know who you are or where you are. No one will know your name or address.

How it works

皇冠体育app app works by using Bluetooth on your phone as you move around.

Bluetooth is a way for phones or computers to connect to each other without wires.

Your phone will recognise other people鈥檚 phones that use the app when you are close to them.

Your phones will send a small piece of information as a code to each other.

This will stay on your phone for several days. 皇冠体育appn it will be deleted.

Using the app and sharing your data with us helps keep everyone healthy.

If you or another person using the app catches coronavirus, the app can use the codes that your phones shared to let you both know.

You can tell the app if you have had the vaccine or are under 18.

You will then be told what to do to keep yourself and other people safe.

皇冠体育app app can alert other people without telling them who you are.

Other ways the app can help you

You can also use the app to:

  • find out if there are lots of people catching coronavirus in your area

  • check if you might have coronavirus, if you feel unwell

  • order a test

  • find out how long you have left to stay indoors if you have been asked to stay away from other people

  • if you are asked to stay away from people, you may be able to get paid for staying indoors. 皇冠体育app app will take you to a website to see if you can

  • check in to places so you can receive advice

Using the app

Getting started

When you first open the app it will ask you to:

  • turn on your Bluetooth. You must have Bluetooth switched on for the app to work

  • enter the first part of your postcode and select your local authority. This will tell us which part of the country you are in. It does not tell us your address

  • allow the app to send you notifications. Notifications are when the app sends you important messages

When you have the app

We want you to:

  • keep the app switched on

  • take your phone with you everywhere you go

  • do everything the app advises you to do

  • get a test quickly if the app tells you to

  • stay indoors and away from people if the app advises you to. If you have any questions, please ask for help and call NHS 111

  • tell the app how you are feeling, so the app can check if you might have coronavirus

皇冠体育app app gives the NHS information to check that it is working.

皇冠体育app app tells the NHS how the app is working and if the app is being helpful.

No one will know the information has come from you.

皇冠体育app information will help us to understand more about coronavirus and other illnesses in the future.

We may keep this information for several years.

Your rights

皇冠体育app law says that you have the right to see any information that is being kept about you.

皇冠体育app only information that says who you are will be kept on your phone.

Information that says who you are will not go to other people鈥檚 phones or to the government.

皇冠体育app app will let you see what information it has about you. You can check that it is right.

If you decide you no longer want to use the app, you can delete it at any time.

This will delete all the information the app holds on your phone including places you鈥檝e checked in to.

If you delete the app, you will not receive any alerts or advice from the app.

If you are unhappy with how the app uses information you can email our Data Protection Officer: [email protected].

For more information

If you have questions

You can contact NHS 111 at any time.

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