Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

NHS England Covid app outage shows problems of single centralised system

NHS England Covid app outage shows problems of single centralised system

Analysis: app falling offline caused frustrated users to be turned away from flights and venues
It’s always annoying if your phone battery dies while you’re travelling – but it’s even worse if malfunctioning technology means you can’t even begin your trip.

Wednesday’s outage of the NHS app for England left frustrated users unable to prove their Covid vaccination status at airport check-ins, meaning many were unable to board flights. Others were turned away from venues that require evidence that people have been double-jabbed.

Although the NHS England app was restored after around four hours, the outage highlighted the problems that can be caused by putting a single centralised system at the heart of modern life. In an era when people expect their online accounts to work instantly, a single government-run app briefly falling offline can in effect close international travel for much of the population.

The issue is particularly pressing as Wales and Scotland have started implementing mandatory checks – also known as “Covid passports” – on the doors of certain venues such as nightclubs. If people in those countries were unable to prove their vaccination status during evening hours due to a technical issue, then big events could be left without any customers.

In Wales, where the policy came into effect this week, door staff at nightclubs had already reported running arguments with students who misunderstood the rules, claimed to have run out of battery on their phone and were unable to show proof of vaccination, or were struggling to download their vaccination proof before last entry.

Scotland, which has developed its own standalone app before a planned introduction of mandatory vaccine checks next week, has also had issues with technology. The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has apologised and said the “initial backlog” of users unable to access their health records has now been cleared.

Although Boris Johnson has – under pressure from his own Conservative backbenchers – abandoned formal plans for vaccine passports in England, some premises have voluntarily required either evidence of a Covid vaccination or a negative test to gain access. However, this has been enforced on a patchy basis. At the Labour party’s annual conference in Brighton there were visual checks that attenders had a QR code but it was not run through a verification system.

People taking flights from the UK have got used to showing the QR codes generated by the service, which can usually be called up at a moment’s notice. However, many Apple iPhone users are unaware that is possible to save a copy of NHS England vaccination certificate to their Apple Wallet, ensuring it always available offline and avoiding the risk of the service crashing.

Paper copies are also available, although governments are doing their best to encourage people to use cheaper digital equivalents.

A bigger issue is for people currently travelling across Europe, where countries are increasingly demanding evidence of double-vaccination to enter bars, restaurants, and public spaces. Brexit means Britons have so far been cut out of the EU-wide vaccine passport scheme, with many finding proof-of-vaccination QR codes produced by the UK’s NHS apps are not accepted by local venues.

Talks are ongoing about fully integrating the British data into the EU Digital Covid Certificate scheme but in the meantime people planning a holiday in Europe are being advised to be prepared for technical difficulties – and advised to check ahead if they want to be let into venues. Until then many Britons travelling in Europe have been putting their UK status into “‎TousAntiCovid” – an app produced by the French government which recognises NHS vaccination certificates.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×