NHS Covid 19 App

[moochedit]

They are probably sending the emails and text's out in batches to prevent their server crashing. Also if they need to collect email addresses and phone numbers from individual gp's then some gp's may provide them quicker than others. And some emails may falsely get caught by spam filters.

 

[moochedit]

I had an email about it via an nhs message on the "next door" website (which i rarely use).

 

[Cid]

Ah, got message now also.

 

[sojourner]

My phone's too old apparently.

 

[ska invita]

App refuseniks, what are your reasons please?

 

[gentlegreen]

I got an email, but not a text..
I just learned that the Android phone I most usually carry, soon won't even be able to play Youtube videos even through a web browser ...

This app doesn't apply to me.

 

[Sue]

App refuseniks, what are your reasons please?

Not a refusenik (and not sure that term is very helpful). My phone's too old so comes up as 'Incompatible with this device'.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Just got an e-mail touting the app.

View attachment 232047

I got one too.

 

[ska invita]

Not a refusenik (and not sure that term is very helpful). My phone's too old so comes up as 'Incompatible with this device'.

not relevant to you, but some people are refusing to use the app - that might be me too. I havent kept up with all the news on this

 

[LDC]

not relevant to you, but some people are refusing to use the app - that might be me too. I havent kept up with all the news on this

Why? Concerns that people have brought up (mostly battery life and privacy) have seem to have been sorted out.

As an aside a friend is using it and is back at work this week, and says they think they've noticed it changing their behaviour slightly through being more conscious of social distancing so keeping away from people. Might be a slight positive side effect of using the app?

 

[IC3D]

Doubt it works, privacy, my ability to remember to switch it on and off every time I go to work spring to mind gentlegreen Every time im asked to provide details so far I've been able to do so without it.

 

[ska invita]

Why?

Thats what Im trying to find out. Have half heard things about details being shared with US health companies, a poster who worked on it (or was that a different on) saying he wouldnt download, money for Serco/privatisation of the NHS etc etc

 

[LDC]

Thats what Im trying to find out. Have half heard things about details being shared with US health companies, a poster who worked on it (or was that a different on) saying he wouldnt download, money for Serco/privatisation of the NHS etc etc

You don't enter any details, only the first part of your postcode, and you can delete any of the stored data at any time. I'm sure some data can be extracted from it, but no more than all the other apps you use I expect. I accept it's not perfect but it's what we have, and think people should download and use it.

 

[gentlegreen]

I accept it's not perfect but it's what we have, and think people should download and use it.

How about people who only go out once a week to the supermarket ?

 

[moochedit]

Not a refusenik (and not sure that term is very helpful). My phone's too old so comes up as 'Incompatible with this device'.

Have you checked if you phone has any software updates waiting to install? The app needs a feature that is not in older os versions so it may be your os rather than the phone itself.

 

[existentialist]

Have you checked if you phone has any software updates waiting to install? The app needs a feature that is not in older os versions so it may be your os rather than the phone itself.

The problem is often that, after a certain amount of time, manufacturers stop providing the Android OS updates - so, even if the phone were physically capable of running the app, the lack of a sufficiently recent release of the OS means that it can't.

 

[xenon]

Thats what Im trying to find out. Have half heard things about details being shared with US health companies, a poster who worked on it (or was that a different on) saying he wouldnt download, money for Serco/privatisation of the NHS etc etc

What details? The only details you give it is the first half of your postcode. The app just knows this device was in this area near this other app enabled device at X time.


It's not the same app as tried on the IoW.

 

[Cid]

Thats what Im trying to find out. Have half heard things about details being shared with US health companies, a poster who worked on it (or was that a different on) saying he wouldnt download, money for Serco/privatisation of the NHS etc etc

That possibly relates to the old app... Privacy on this iteration (which is essentially unrelated to version 1) seems about as good as it could be. Honestly you're sharing far more info just by using the internet.

 

[Cid]

How about people who only go out once a week to the supermarket ?

As I said somewhere else it should probably be framed as 'do I have a good reason not to use it?'. It is what it is... Seemingly one of the better measures they've introduced, and very little burden on the user. It might not work, but it's certainly more likely to work with higher uptake. Granted your case is a bit different to most.

 

[Roadkill]

This looks to be a pretty measured and fair consideration of the app by someone knowledgeable and sensible, although I do think his final conclusion is a bit limp. There are problems with the app - some of them external to it, such as the fiasco about test capacity - but although he's almost certainly right it's not a silver bullet, there doesn't seem to be a good reason for those who have a phone capable of running it not to do so.

 

[existentialist]

As I said somewhere else it should probably be framed as 'do I have a good reason not to use it?'. It is what it is... Seemingly one of the better measures they've introduced, and very little burden on the user. It might not work, but it's certainly more likely to work with higher uptake. Granted your case is a bit different to most.

Yep. If (as is inevitable) people self-select as to whether they're going to use a tool, it does limit in some small way the effectiveness of the tool overall.

One of the things that has really ground my gears, in general, about people's behaviour around Covid-19 is how it seems to have highlighted some very unpleasant self-serving trends in a fair chunk of the population. My idealistic high-mindedness is offended by the ease with which (some, not all) people can blithely say "Why should I do it - there's nothing in it for me to do so?", rather than "How might my willingness to <use an app, wear a mask> help the community/society/world better?"

I downloaded the app because there's some infinitesimal percentage of a chance that someone seeing me QR-coding on the way into a bar/shop might be inspired to do the same. Same with masks - I was wearing one in shops before they were mandatory because I thought that at least it might normalise it that tiny bit more for people who were, perhaps, worried about looking stupid, or having some stroppy div call them sheeple.

Sometimes the societal benefits aren't immediately quantifiable, but we should ideally do the thing anyway.

 

[Orang Utan]

Got told today by my union rep that it was fine to switch it off at work, despite working with the public all day (and with about 20 other members of staff) as it was only really for people who are moving about from place to place. Think I shall ignore this advice.

 

[andysays]

Got told today by my union rep that it was fine to switch it off at work, despite working with the public all day (and with about 20 other members of staff) as it was only really for people who are moving about from place to place. Think I shall ignore this advice.

That sounds like nonsense to me, and I'm very disappointed to hear a union rep giving that advice.

Are members of the public visiting your workplace expected/required to give their details or to scan the QR code thing?

 

[Orang Utan]

That sounds like nonsense to me, and I'm very disappointed to hear a union rep giving that advice.

Are members of the public visiting your workplace expected/required to give their details or to scan the QR code thing?

Aye, hardly anyone has the app, so we mostly get their details at the door or when they make their enquiry.
(Btw the union rep also cced, without explanation, introduction or consent, another person into the reply, who turned out to be my employer’s HoD of health and safety - pretty sure that’s a breach of GDPR)

 

[existentialist]

(Btw the union rep also cced, without explanation, introduction or consent, another person into the reply, who turned out to be my employer’s HoD of health and safety - pretty sure that’s a breach of GDPR)

It's fucking inconsiderate, if nothing else. I had a union like that, once. Fortunately I got made redundant from that job, and they were no fucking use at that, either.

 

[Roadkill]

Got told today by my union rep that it was fine to switch it off at work, despite working with the public all day (and with about 20 other members of staff) as it was only really for people who are moving about from place to place. Think I shall ignore this advice.

That's absolute rubbish. I'd certainly ignore it! As andysays ... says, it's disappointing to hear of a union rep giving advice like that.

 

[moochedit]

That's absolute rubbish. I'd certainly ignore it! As andysays ... says, it's disappointing to hear of a union rep giving advice like that.

Whether you use the app or not is up to you and not your employer's or union's business anyway.

 

[Roadkill]

Whether you use the app or not is up to you and not your employer's or union's business anyway.

Precisely, although our union branch is encouraging us to use it - rightly, in my view.

 

[Chilli.s]

(Btw the union rep also cced, without explanation, introduction or consent, another person into the reply, who turned out to be my employer’s HoD of health and safety - pretty sure that’s a breach of GDPR)

That is rude if nothing else. I'd go above the rep and report that to the head office of whatever union it is.

 

[trabuquera]

Not a full refusenik yet, I'm still open to it and willing to co-operate (and totally accept the logic that the more people use it, the likelier control of the epidemic might be, and it's not much to ask of us all, etc etc - I'm a conscientious mask-wearer, hand-washer, distance-respecter and borderline self-isolator anyway.) But I have major concerns...

1/ If it really doesn't take NHS-administered test results then I won't be able to report my own status anyway, and the picture it will build up of the epidemic as is, as a whole, will be completely inaccurate too - so surely it's pointless?

2/ Much much more serious: the Bluetooth aspect. Not paranoid about Big Government having my data (closing my eyes and singing 'la la la' is helpful with this) but I honestly thought we were all strongly advised AGAINST having Bluetooth on all the time, because of it leaving your phone open to hacking by data sharks who'd use social / app data like your passwords, logins, card details etc. I thought this was basic security - you only turn on Bluetooth to exchange specific info/files with other specific users? If the app genuine has to have Bluetooth on all the time (as the NHS advice seems to insist?) I could cope with the odd random rude pic or spam message, and I'm not worried about battery life - but I rely heavily on things like paypal / eBay / other stuff which can cost money on my phone and don't want that information vulnerable in any way, especially if we're heading into lockdown again. Sorry if this worry has already been asked and answered but can anyone tell me why this isn't a concern?