Don’t leave elderly behind in Covid-19 technology drive, SNP told

5 May 2020

Elderly and other vulnerable groups cannot be left behind as ministers turn to technology to tackle the coronavirus crisis, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

Nicola Sturgeon revealed yesterday she would launch a mobile app to allow people to register their own symptoms, should they occur, which would allow for geographical tracking of the disease.

It’s part of a wider plan to increase the test, trace and isolate scheme.

But serious questions have been raised about the practicalities of the system, and what co-operation there would be with the rest of the UK in its roll-out.

Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw pointed out that the elderly, the people most vulnerable to Covid-19, could struggle to use the technology.

And he said anything other than a four-nations approach could also cause problems, especially for those in the south of Scotland, and as time goes on with increased travel across the UK.

Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said:

“Of course technology should be used where it can be shown to help in the fight against coronavirus.

“But we need to remember that a significant proportion of the population – which happens to be those most at risk from the virus – won’t be able to easily access or use this app.

“We need urgent clarification from the Scottish Government about how it intends to include elderly people in this drive, and what plans it has to ensure no-one is left behind.

“We also need to know if this is a Scotland-only app, or if Nicola Sturgeon will be seeking to work on a UK-wide basis.

“It will be hugely confusing for people in the south of Scotland who work in the north of England to make use of something that’s not UK-wide.

“And as time goes on, and travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK resumes, we can’t afford for technological hiccups on the basis the SNP wanted an app exclusive to Scotland.”