NHS 24 app to give people latest information about coronavirus

A new NHS 24 app has been launched to provide people with the latest advice and information about Covid-19.

The new mobile app offers a coronavirus symptom checker as well as the most up-to-date information and guidance from NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government.

It is linked to the NHS 24 health information site nhsinform.scot which has seen record numbers of people visiting its pages, with the app updating instantaneously from the website.

The app has been developed in partnership between NHS 24 and digital design agency xDesign.

Louise Bennie, head of digital at NHS 24, said: “While a primary focus with the app was around user experience, given the situation is changing on a daily basis it was absolutely crucial that we were able to pull content from our NHS Inform website through to the app in real time.

“Looking ahead, we think there is a long-term role for the app working alongside the website as a general entry point for NHS services.”

The design agency xDesign volunteered its services to help NHS 24 and has built the app in five days to help.

Managing director of xDesign Ben Hutton said: “Across the team at xDesign, myself and others have partners and family who work for the NHS and we wanted to do everything we could to help the cause at such a difficult time for so many.

“This was an opportunity to offer practical help at a time of national crisis and involved a supercharged version of our usual discovery, design and development process to get things over the line within a week.

“The NHS 24 team wanted us to work with the content they already had on their NHS inform national health information website, but to make that super accessible to the public via a mobile application.

“In practice, the app means you can get a reliable symptom check and at a time when people are struggling in a sea of information it also contains a comprehensive bank of reliable information.”