21Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Liberal Democrat Leader’s app suggestion an “excellent idea”

Liberal Democrat Leader’s app suggestion an “excellent idea”

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was heartened to receive a letter from the Chief Executive of Oldham Council, Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, endorsing his idea that the NHS Covid-19 app be made available pro-actively to all staff at the Council and staff in other public sector organisations who are issued with a smart phone for business use. Describing the suggestion as an “excellent idea”, Dr Wilkins has agreed to make the app available to Council staff and has also written to partner organisations in the Borough asking them to do the same. Dr Wilkins also plays a key role in the delivery of the national Track and Trace scheme representing local authorities. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:…
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07Oct 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Common-sense for public sector staff to be able to access Covid-19 App

Common-sense for public sector staff to be able to access Covid-19 App

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was disappointed to discover recently that his Oldham Council-issued business smart phone would not permit him to download the new Government recommended Track and Trace Covid-19 App without special permission.  He has now contacted senior officers at the Council to suggest that the App be allowed to be downloaded onto every Council-electronic device used by its employees.  This suggestion is now being rolled out across the board. But Councillor Sykes has now gone one further.  He has written to Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, who in addition to being Chief Executive at Oldham Council, is the national officer lead on Track and Trace, to request that all public sector organisations in Oldham also ensure that their employees will also be able to access…
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21May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government has serious questions to answer over app delays

Parliamentary news
Responding to the daily press conference led by the DCMS Secretary and reports that the NHSX app will not be ready for 1 June, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Daisy Cooper, said: “With the Coronavirus crisis leaving the most vulnerable at risk, the Government continues to waste valuable time and undermine public confidence by experimenting with a new tracing app when there are already effective models it could and should use. “An app alone will not bring an end to the lockdown, but a safe and effective app could play a role in keeping people safe with a strategy to test, trace and isolate. “The Prime Minister and his Government have serious questions to answer about these delays. To restore public confidence and get a grip of the virus,…
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