UK’s National Health Service started building a contact tracing app based on its own centralised architecture late last month. The new app did not make use of the new Exposure Notification system that is being built by Google and Apple, and instead uses a solution made by the NHS’ innovation arm NHSX.

NHS launched the new app for users in Isle of Wight this week, and they have also made available the source code for the iOS app and the Android app on GitHub. However, the app has continued to face criticism, and the NHS is apparently considering building a second app that uses the new Exposure Notification system from Apple and Google.

“The second NHS app will use technology provided by Google and Apple and is being developed “in parallel”, in case politicians decide to make a switch, according to two people familiar with the situation,” reports the Financial Times. 

NHS is said to be considering the switch in strategy, which would involve launching a new app that uses Apple and Google’s decentralised system.

As predicted, the NHS is facing issues with its original app, mainly to do with battery life and iPhone compatibility. Additionally, the Financial Times reports that a technical analysis of the existing app has found a loophole in the app that would enable authorities to access detailed location data about users in the future.

Matthew Gould, who leads the National Health Service’s innovation arm, has expressed his concerns with Apple and Google’s solution, like issues with detecting fraudulent reports of infection. The final decision on which app will be released widely is yet to be made.

Tagged with NHS, UK