Posted:

28 Jul 2021

MedTech Wednesday: Could the NHS COVID pass be open to exploitation?

MedTech Wednesday is our weekly check-in here at Spreckley, where we share all the most interesting healthcare innovation and health technology news and trends.  

This week, we look at NHS Digital’s latest tool that sheds led on which organisations are accessing patient data, as well as the NHS COVID pass and whether it could be open to exploitation. Our client TrueProfile.io® also explores the future of healthcare recruitment and the importance of digital CVs in our increasingly digitalised working environment.   


NHS Digital gives patients easier access to who uses their data
 

“A tool that makes it easier for patients to see which organisations can access their data has been launched by NHS Digital”, reports Digital Health.net this week.  

“The Data Uses Register reveals why such organisations (which could be public sector bodies, charities or commercial organisations) are allowed to use the data and what the expected benefits are. 

“They must all have a legal basis and legitimate need to use the data, which will only be used for health and care planning and research purposes, NHS Digital said in a statement. 

In addition to this, the register shows the data that NHS Digital has provided, both as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the many other uses of patient data that support health and social care.  

“This includes developing insights to design new NHS services for patients; improving the performance, effectiveness or efficiency of existing services; supporting NHS organisations by creating new tools and products to improve care; creating new treatments and supporting the NHS and local authorities in planning services.”  


NHS COVID pass could be open to exploitation 
 

There has also been discussion this week around whether the NHS COVID pass could be open to exploitation, with a potential glitch in the system enabling people to obtain this pass with fake test results.  

“The NHS COVID pass is meant to indicate whether someone has either had two vaccinations or received a negative coronavirus test,” states Healthcare IT News 

“When someone submits a negative lateral flow test result via the Government website, a QR code pass is generated on the NHS app, which is valid for 48 hours.   

“However, an investigation by the i newspaper, found that a negative test result could be falsely reported by entering a fabricated test code onto the website, meaning the system can easily be exploited.” 

Find out more on this in Healthcare IT News.


Digital CVs and the future of healthcare recruitment
 

And finally, Primary Source Verification provider, TrueProfile.io® explores the changing face of healthcare recruitment in Bdaily, delving deeper into why digital CVs hold the key to the future of recruitment.  

 “Candidates have always looked for new ways of standing out from the crowd in a competitive landscape in order to secure an interview, or better yet, the job at the end of the process. But the best way to stand out is to truly understand what is most important to a potential recruiter and address that as early on as possible,” says Alejandro Coca, co-head of TrueProfile.io.  

“In the healthcare sector, the ‘time-to-hire’ is a huge barrier for alleviating the talent shortage as lengthy verification processes mean it can take months for candidates to have their credentials verified. In other words, recruiters need to track down the origins of your certificates and accomplishments and obtain evidence that they are valid, authentic and factual.’ 

“However, through the right digital CV builder, candidates can truly stand out from the crowd through providing their pre-verified credentials as part of their digital CV to a potential recruiter. This means you’ve completely eliminated the time-to-hire barrier. In an industry such as healthcare in which demand for staff is high and hiring managers cannot recruit fast enough, having your documents authenticated prior to application will place you in an extremely competitive position against other candidates.”