NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app could cause ‘digital divide’

NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app could cause ‘digital divide’ as only half of manual workers, pensioners and unemployed say they will download it compared to three quarters of ‘professionals’

  • Independent charity the Health Foundation surveyed around 2,000 Britons
  • They found that intended use of the tracing app varied across the population
  • In addition, level of education appears likely to play a role in the app’s uptake
  • Only 39 per cent of those with no formal qualifications said that they would use it
  • This contrasted with the 71 per cent of degree-holders intending to download
  • The foundation fears that some will be ‘left behind’ and miss vital health advice  
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

The NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app could cause a ‘digital divide’ as only half of manual workers, pensioners and the unemployed claim they would download it.

This low uptake, researchers, would not be mirrored by ‘professionals’ — of whom three quarters of those surveyed said they would use the app.

The findings from the UK charity Health Foundation raise fresh concerns over the much-anticipated contact tracing solution, which could see some ‘left behind’.

The NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app, pictured, could cause a ‘digital divide’ as only half of manual workers, pensioners and the unemployed claim they would download it

Poll

Would you download and use the NHS contact-tracing app?

  • Yes 9 votes
  • No 29 votes
  • Maybe 3 votes
  • N/A – I do not own a smart phone 6 votes

The Health Foundation’s survey of almost 2,000 Britons found that only 62 per cent  are willing to download the app when it becomes widely available.

This rose to 73 per cent among those in managerial, administrative or ‘professional’ jobs — but fell to around only 50 per cent for routine and manual workers, state pensioners and the unemployed.

The survey also revealed that 71 per cent of degree-holders said that they were likely to use the app — but this dropped to 63 per cent among those with A-levels or their equivalent only and  59 per cent for those with just GCSEs or equivalent.

Meanwhile, only 38 per cent of people with no formal qualifications said that they would be likely to download the contact-tracing app.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent of over-65s reported that they do not own a smart phone — rendering them unable to use the contact-tracing app in the first place.

In April, researchers from the University of Oxford revealed that 56 per cent of the population would need to use the app in order for it to completely suppress COVID-19 on it own — although lower levels of uptake would still help save lives.

The Health Foundation said that it was concerned that those without the app could miss out on up-to-date information about their risk of infection from coming into close contact with others.

The charity also raised concerns about the burden of ‘false alerts’ from the app, saying that some groups would more suffer ‘unintended consequences’ from such.

‘We have now launched NHS Test and Trace service which will bring together testing, contact tracing and outbreak management into an end-to-end service to stop the spread of the virus,’ a Department of Health spokesperson told MailOnline.

‘The NHS COVID-19 App will be just one part of this and is designed to complement other forms of contact tracing process. All parts of society will benefit from the app.’

In addition, they said, the government is supporting the ‘DevicesNotNow’ campaign which will provide support and internet-enabled devices to vulnerable people isolating in their homes without internet access.

This campaign will be focused on those individuals who are shielding or vulnerable due to age, disability, health conditions and social isolation.

‘The NHS contact tracing app could play a critical role in the fight against COVID-19, expanding the number of people who are traced and speeding up the process,’ said Health Foundation director of data analytics Adam Stevenson.

‘With a virus that is transmitted as quickly as coronavirus, this kind of instant contact tracing could prove invaluable — but there’s a significant risk that many will be left behind.’

‘The impact of COVID-19 is already being felt unequally across society and appears to be having a disproportionate impact on people living in more deprived areas, older people and some ethnic minorities.’

‘Within that context, it’s especially concerning that people in lower paid jobs and those with less formal education say they are less likely to download and use the app — and of course not everyone has a smartphone.’

‘NHSX must ensure that the benefits of the app are experienced by the communities who need these the most, while ensuring that the potential negative consequences of the app, such as false alerts, do not fall on those least able to withstand them.’

‘It is also vital that those who do not have access to the app, are protected as a priority by the Government’s wider Test and Trace system and that a more comprehensive strategy to tackle health inequalities is put in place.’