NHS COVID-19 app

The request was partially successful.

Dear Staffordshire Police,

The Government is strongly recommending that all citizens download and use the NHS COVID-19 app to assist the NHS Test and Trace. The advice suggests that downloading the app will help control the spread of the virus and will therefore save lives.

Police officers and police community support officers are on the front line when it comes to controlling the virus, and as such are at an increased risk of exposure to the virus and and therefore an increased risk of spreading the virus.

Could you please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:-

1. Does Staffordshire Police permit or encourage officers and staff to download the NHS COVID-19 app on mobile phones provided to them by Staffordshire Police .

2. What advice or instructions have been issued to Staffordshire Police officers or staff in regards to downloading or using the NHS COVID-19 app on their personally owned mobile phones whilst at work. With regards to this request please include any advice or instructions which may have been issued by National Policing Bodies which was then circulated or reproduced by Staffordshire Police on the force Intranet or in any force bulletin, email or publication.

3. Please provide the number of Officers and Police Staff that have reported to Staffordshire Police that they or a family member have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus from the start of the virus to the current date.

Yours faithfully,

Mr L. Anderson

Staffordshire Police

Please note that your FOI log number is 12489 – this number will be used
on all correspondence.  Please quote this number when contacting this
department regarding your request.
Thank you for your FOI request.  You will receive a response in due
course.  
Kind regards
Central Disclosure Unit
Staffordshire Police

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Dear Staffordshire Police,

I have not receive any response to my request, I would appreciate an update.

Yours faithfully,

Mr L. Anderson

Freedom of Information, Staffordshire Police

Dear Mr Anderson

Thank you for your e-mail. We apologise for the late response to your Freedom of Information request.

I can confirm that your request is currently in progress and a response will be issued as soon as possible.

Kind regards

Freedom of Information
DCC Directorate – Information Governance and Assurance
Central Disclosure Unit
Staffordshire Police HQ
PO Box 3167
Stafford
ST16 9JZ
T:  Switchboard 101
E:  [Staffordshire Police request email]

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Freedom of Information, Staffordshire Police

4 Attachments

Dear Mr Anderson

 

Please see the attached response to your Freedom of Information request.
We sincerely apologise for the delay in responding.

 

Kind regards

 

 

[1]https://sp-intranet.staffordshire.police...

 

Freedom of Information

DCC Directorate – Information Governance and Assurance

Central Disclosure Unit

Staffordshire Police HQ

PO Box 3167

Stafford

ST16 9JZ

T:  Switchboard 101

E:  [2][Staffordshire Police request email]

 

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2. mailto:[Staffordshire Police request email]

Dear Staffordshire Police,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Staffordshire Police's handling of my FOI request 'NHS COVID-19 app'.

Thank you for your response in which you clearly deal with point 1.

In respect of point 2, you have applied cite exemptions suggesting that redactions have been applied to protect the personal information of individuals(s) and to protect criminal investigations.

Having looked at the short redactions it is difficult to believe that the inclusion of the hidden text would either identify any individual or compromise police investigation or assist criminals, unless of course Staffordshire Police are aware of vulnerabilities within the NHS app that criminals could exploit .

The Prime Minister , senior MP’s and SAGE advisors have all made it clear that the NHS app is an important part of the Track and Trace system vital to helping control the spread of the deadly COVID virus, to support the Track and Trace system the government have introduce far reaching powers to ensure citizens self isolate when instructed to do so by the NHS.

The police have been given access to the data from Track and Trace to allow them to identify individuals that have been told to self isolate and where necessary to issue high fines to those who breach the self isolation rules. It is difficult to understand why those key workers (police) who have a essential part to play in making Track and Trace measures work are not themselves using the app that other citizens are expected to use.

Given that Staffordshire is about to go into the higher level of restrictions very soon due to the rapid increase of COVID cases, the effectiveness of Track and Trace is very important.

Police officers and staff, are required to meet people in the course of their employment, and therefore are at an increased risk of exposure to COVID, by prohibiting them from the protection offered by the NHS App, Staffordshire Police are exposing staff and the wider community to increased risk of the virus. Unless Staffordshire Police feel that using the app poses a greater risk than exposure to the virus itself, it is difficult to understand the rationale of the decision.

By redacting the documents provided Staffordshire Police are being less than transparent, preventing the public from fully understanding the rationale for the decision and raising concerns over the security/safety of the App.

In respect of point 3 the response is “no information held’, for this response to be correct it would mean that either no officers or staff have reported having the virus or that Staffordshire Police do not record such information. Either possibility is difficult to believe and I ask that this point be revisited, the number of officers /staff affected by the virus is of interest to the public given that they may have come into contact with these officers /staff member s.

In considering the response to point 3, I would ask that you take into account any emails or force bulletins that may have been issued providing welfare messages concerning officers/staff that had contracted COVID.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/n...

Yours faithfully,

Mr L. Anderson

Staffordshire Police

Thank you for your request for an Internal Review of FOI 12489, you will
receive a response in due course. Please be advised that all FOI requests
and response letters are published on the Staffordshire  Police website
although personal details are not included.
Regards,
Freedom of Information
Central Disclosure Unit
Staffordshire Police

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Freedom of Information, Staffordshire Police

2 Attachments

Dear applicant,

 

Please find attached the response to the request for internal review of
your recent Freedom of information request

 

 

Kind regards

 

[1]https://sp-intranet.staffordshire.police...

DCC Directorate – Information Governance and Assurance

Freedom of Information

Central Disclosure Unit

Staffordshire Police HQ

P.O. Box 3167

Stafford

ST16 9JZ

E: [2][Staffordshire Police request email]

 

 

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References

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2. mailto:[Staffordshire Police request email]

Dear Freedom of Information,

Thank you for your very quick response to my request for an internal review, a response in around only 8 hours is admirable. I note how ever that your response does not seek to address the points I raised but simply agrees with the initial decision maker’s view, in fact the wording appears to be a generic response which is largely identical to a internal review response I received previously.

In view of the position taken my Staffordshire Police you leave me no choice but to lodge an appeal with the Information Commissioner, it is unfortunate that the issues could not have been resolved at this point, rather than troubling the Commissioner with something which on the face of it should be straightforward.

Yours sincerely

Mr L. Anderson