The National Health Service (NHS) Scotland Covid Status app: FOI release

Information requested

• Why is the app so bad and continues to be?
• Why did the Scottish Government not get money back for so called teething problems?
• How many complaints have you had on this app?

Response

• Why is the app so bad and continues to be?

The Scottish Government does not hold any information relevant to this question. The NHS Scotland Covid Status app was, and is, an important tool in our response to COVID-19, and has served a vital public health role during the pandemic. In addition to the COVID Status app, individuals can request a copy of their vaccination status by PDF download or as a paper copy.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

• Why did the Scottish Government not get money back for so called teething problems?

The Scottish Government does not hold any information relevant to this question. Technical difficulties experienced during the initial launch of the NHS Scotland COVID Status app were as a result of difficulties in existing NHS systems, not in the development of the COVID Status app. As such, no financial compensation in relation to the COVID Status app would be appropriate.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

• How many complaints have you had on this app?

The Scottish Government has received two formal complaints, regarding the functioning of the NHS Scotland Covid Status app. However, the app itself is delivered by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), who may have further information about complaints received from users. You can make a request to NSS by email at nss.foi@nhs.scot, or by writing to NHS National Services Scotland, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9EB. More information is available on the NSS website: Freedom of information | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot).

Additionally, I can advise that the Scottish Government has received a high volume of general correspondence from members of the public related to the NHS Scotland Covid Status App. The topic of these correspondence are varied, and can relate to the principle of the policies around the usage of the app rather than the functionality of the app. Checking each item of correspondence for expressions of dissatisfaction with the functionality of the app itself would be extremely time consuming, and would exceed the £600 cost limit for responses set by the Freedom of Information (Fees for Required Disclosure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004, made under section 12 of FOISA.

Under Section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by regulations made under Section 12.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.