‘It’s slick, quick and effective’

NHS GP Dr Amir Khan on why he’s downloaded the app

“If you have a smart phone, you should get this app. It’s for people in England and Wales aged 16 or over. We all need to help control the spread of the virus, and the best way to do that is knowing where the outbreaks are and when someone who has tested positive might have been in your vicinity. Then it’s about getting as many people to isolate as necessary.

“I live in Leeds and work in Bradford, both of which are on local restrictions, and the app can tell me my local level of risk and alert. So it helps modify your behaviour. I’ve used a QR code to check into places that I go, like the gym, so again it’s really easy for me to know if someone there at the same time has tested positive.

“I haven’t had an alert yet, but I’m reassured that I will know. If you travel around the country (assuming you’re keeping to the rules) and put in where you are, it will give you the level of risk there.

“One of my GP colleagues who downloaded the app did receive the message to say she needed to self-isolate. Again, it was really quick and easy to act on this – to make sure she didn’t return to work, and to amend her rota so she could work from home.

“It’s really slick and effective. You’re not waiting for someone to call and there’s no risk of missing out on vital information – it’s just so much quicker.”