NHS COVID-19
| NHS COVID-19 | |
|---|---|
| Original author(s) | NHSX |
| Initial release | 24 September 2020 |
| Final release | 6.0
/ 24 April 2023 |
| Repository | |
| Platform | Android, iOS |
| Size | 9.8 MB |
| Available in | English, Welsh |
| Type | Contact tracing app |
| License | MIT |
| Website | covid19 |
NHS COVID-19 was a voluntary contact tracing app for monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in England and Wales, in use from 24 September 2020 until 27 April 2023. It was available for Android and iOS smartphones, and could be used by anyone aged 16 or over.
Two versions of the app were created. The first was commissioned by NHSX and developed by the Pivotal division of American software company VMware. A pilot deployment began in May 2020, but on 18 June development of the app was abandoned in favour of a second design using the Apple/Google Exposure Notification system. Scotland and Northern Ireland had separate contact tracing apps.
A 2023 study estimated that in its first year of use, the app's contact tracing function prevented an estimated 1 million cases, and 9,600 deaths.