Recommendation 10

NHS Digital created the first iteration of the list of some 900,000 people within two days using readily accessible data sources—hospital, maternity and prescribed medicines data. By 12 April 2020, three weeks after shielding began, a further 420,000 people had 7 Q 17; C&AG’s report para 2.3 8 Qq 13, 17 9 Q 17 10 Qq 3–4, 13–14 11 C&AG’s Report, Figure 14. 12 Qq 14–15. 13 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-technology-to-help-identify-those-at-high-risk-from-covid-19 14 Q93; C&AG’s report, para 4.4 15 Royal National Institute for the Blind; Independent Age. 16 C&AG’s Report, para 11 17 Q 21; C&AG’s Report, para 11 10 Covid 19: supporting the vulnerable during lockdown been added using GP data, bringing the total to 1.3 million people.18 We asked why it took until the 12 April 2020 to access GP data. NHS Digital told us that it took three weeks working with GP IT systems providers to design, build and gather the GP data. NHS Digital told us that this was quick, as work of this scale would usually take four to six months.19