Can personal data collected for NHS Test and Trace be used for other purposes?

Personal data that is collected for NHS Test and Trace, which you would not collect in your usual course of business, must be used only to share with NHS Test and Trace.

It must not be used for other purposes, including marketing, profiling, analysis or other purposes unrelated to contact tracing, or you will be in breach of GDPR. You should make your staff aware of what they should and shouldn't do with customer information.

Will my data be deleted after uninstalling the NHS COVID-19 app?

If you choose to delete the app, you will not receive any notifications (alerts) from the app about coronavirus (COVID-19) and the data stored by the app on your phone will be deleted. If you decide to install the app again, you will need to provide the requested information again.

Will the data collected by the NHS COVID-19 app be used to identify me?

Your use of the app can never be monitored, and any data collected about you will not be used to identify you.

How does the National Health Service (NHS) app prevent re-identification?

Only those with access to the app will have details of the venues checked into. No details about which venues a user has checked into is included in the analytical data set or provided to the use.

How does the National Health Service (NHS) app protect user's privacy?

The technique used to provide app users with their correct result also ensure that the identity of the user is protected. When the app recommends a test for users it requests three separate tokens. These are generated by services outside of the app and are not recorded in the app. They are unique and anonymous and cannot be derived from each other or any other information.

These three tokens allow the correct information to be returned to the correct user whilst maintaining their privacy and ensuring that data cannot be linked. We dealt the tokens promptly once we’ve updated the relevant app.

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Does the NHS COVID-19 app protect my privacy?

The system gives a high level of privacy protection, as the app does not collect or transfer any information that tells us who or where you are. This also means it cannot tell the NHS, people and organisations who have contributed to the development of the app, or any other app user, who or where you are.

How is my identity protected when using the NHS COVID-19 app?

The analytics data is collected and held in such a way that it cannot be used to identify the user.

• No data is collected which would allow us directly to identify an individual – we do not collect details of the user’s name, address, phone number, device IMEI or any other unique piece of identification;
• The data that we do collect is held so it cannot be put together (“linked”) to identify a user – specifically, we separate all technical data relating to the phone, used to ensure the app is functioning properly, from the public health data that we need to manage the pandemic.

This is done by using different environments to manage the data with additional controls around the public health data and broader analytical functions.

How does the NHS COVID-19 app protect users' anonymity while tracking the cases?

The app uses complex cryptography to protect you and other app users' anonymity while enabling diagnosis keys to be matched with a relevant broadcast key when relevant. Where there are matches, you will get an alert that you've been in contact with someone who tested positive.

Which company designed the NHS COVID-19 app to protect the privacy and identity of the users?

This system is designed by Apple and Google to protect the privacy and identity of app users, making their use of the app anonymous.

What happens during a venue check-in on the NHS COVID-19 app?

Venue check-ins add a count of the venue check-ins during the 6-hour analytical period. Where the check-in fails or is abandoned this is counted as well. This data is used to ensure the QR venue check in is working as expected as well as give a sense of how app users are using the function and the potential impacts.

Can the data collected for COVID-19 contact tracing be used for other purposes?

Personal data that is collected for NHS Test and Trace, which you would not collect in your usual course of business, must be used only to share with NHS Test and Trace.

It must not be used for other purposes, including marketing, profiling, analysis or other purposes unrelated to contact tracing, or you will be in breach of GDPR.

Can I delete the COVID-19 app?

Right to be forgotten. You can choose to delete the app and the data it contains.

How often does the National Health Service (NHS) app update data?

The app is updated by the central systems (product environment), on average, every 2 hours. The central system provides all app users with three key sets of data. Every app user receives the same information, called reference material, which the app uses to determine if you need to receive an alert or advice. These are:

• the list of Diagnosis Keys from app users who have tested positive. This functionality keeps the identity of app users anonymous to other app users
• the list of all postcode districts and their current risk level
• the list of venues that could pose a risk, as determined by Health Protection Teams and the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC)

Who provides the digital contact-tracing technology used in the NHS COVID-19 app?

The digital contact-tracing technology used in the NHS COVID-19 app is provided by Apple and Google. This technology is known as the ‘Google Apple Exposure Notification system’ (or ‘GAEN’). GAEN, operating systems and data available from this system are constantly being refined.

These updates change the data that can be collected. They also make additional data items available which can help understand and manage public health.

GAEN can provide measurements around the interactions of users. For example, when you update your status in the app with a positive COVID-19 test result (and share your diagnosis keys), GAEN helps the app generate data to understand the level of risk of infection for other app users.

What is the UK regulatory agency for monitoring COVID-19?

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for protecting and improving the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.

Who issued the official name of COVID-19?

The official names COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 were issued by the WHO on 11 February 2020.

Can you still catch COVID-19 after having the booster vaccine?

Can you still catch COVID-19 after having the vaccine? The COVID-19 vaccination will reduce the chance of you suffering from COVID-19. It may take a few days for your body to build up some protection from the booster.

Are you required to register for the COVID-19 testing program?

The test is completely voluntary. You can cancel the test that you’ve booked if you no longer need it. If you do decide to take a test, then you need to follow the instructions provided. As part of the registration process, we will send you a confirmation email with the details of your order or booking. If you are attending a test site, it is necessary to bring this with you.

Can I use a PCR test device after use-by date?

Check the use-by date [YYYY-MM-DD] on the label on the inner test kit package. Do not use the test device after its use-by date.

What is manual contact tracing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Manual contact tracing involves asking an infected person to remember who they have been in contact with; the person can only identify the people they know.

What is a venue check-in on the NHS app?

Do venues have to check COVID-19 status at events?

Updated to reflect the fact that it is no longer a legal requirement for venues or events to check the COVID-19 status of attendees as a condition of entry.

How can I prepare for a COVID-19 test?

1. Check the test kit contents
2. Find your nearest Royal Mail priority postbox or contact 0800 0511 811 to book a courier
3. Prepare to do the test on yourself or someone else
4. Take the swab sample
5. Package the test kit
6. Post your completed test kit or await your courier collection
7. Get test result by text