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How we are assessing COVID-19 apps
The NHS and innovators are working to develop new mobile products and digital technologies that can help in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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17 April 2020

Countless innovators both inside the NHS and in the healthtech sector have been working hard to develop new mobile products and digital health technologies that can help in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Lauren Harkins, the digital assessment programme lead, Rhod Joyce, head of partnerships, and Indra Joshi, Director of AI at NHSX, explain how we are making sure that these products can get to market quickly but safely.
NHSX is working with NHS Digital to fast-track and evaluate apps (and similar technologies) that support our response to COVID-19, using the existing Digital Assessment Questionnaire (DAQ) within the Digital Assessment Portal (DAP). We are using this established process for products and services in high priority areas. These are products that will help citizens at home, the NHS and social care workforce, or those providing data to the NHS.
At this critical time, in which products are being built and scaled at pace, it is as important as ever to undertake these assessments to ensure they are safe to use. So we are currently fast-tracking assessments with these existing standards to ensure that we can get these offerings out to those who need them. We are also providing additional support to developers through the process. The areas of focus are: clinical safety; data protection; and security.
We have paused assessments for apps that are not directly related to the COVID-19 response, so we can focus on the ones that most need quick approval. We will resume assessing the rest - from where they left off in the process - as soon as we are able.
For more information about the NHS Apps Library look at our information pages.