NHS Test and Trace app rolled out to Newham residents
Newham residents will be the first to trial the new NHS Test and Trace app ahead of a national roll-out and will receive unique codes in the post to download the app.
The latest statistics from the tenth week of NHS Test and Trace operation show the service is consistently reaching the majority of those testing positive and their contacts, and has reached more than a quarter of a million people since the service launched.
The service is reaching over 79% of all those who test positive, and 83.4% of their contacts where contact details were provided, which is in line with the recognised metric of success for contact tracing services across the world. With a rise of 12 per cent more people getting tested compared to the previous week, the data shows the public health campaign run by NHS Test and Trace to encourage greater uptake of testing for those with possible symptoms of the virus is working. In-person testing at mobile testing units, drive-through and walk-through testing sites continue to deliver results rapidly, with 93.6 per cent of tests returned the next day.
This comes as a new NHS Test and Trace app will be trialled with residents in Newham from today, as well as on the Isle of Wight and to NHS Volunteers Responders across England, as part of the country’s NHS Test and Trace service. Residents in Newham will receive unique codes to give them early access to download the app via email and post. They will be part of a three-week trial period as the NHS Test and Trace programme rigorously evaluates the app in real-world settings to monitor performance and identify improvements ready for national launch. The app needs to be tested in different ways with different groups that represent the whole of the UK. Newham is an area with a diverse population who might be more at risk to the virus so trialling the app here will ensure that it meets the needs of a range of different communities.
The NHS Test and Trace app has been designed to work alongside traditional contact tracing services and testing, to help people to understand if they are at risk of infection so they can take action to protect themselves and their communities. It uses the latest in security technology and is designed with user privacy in mind so it tracks the virus, not people.
Find out more about the app and read more about the roll out.