Vaccine passports available “within the next few days” in Wales

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Vaccine passports will be available for Welsh residents “within the next few days”, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

However, they will not be available through the NHS app, but through a website portal, the First Minister added.

Mr Drakeford was responding to a question posed to him by Caerphilly’s Senedd Member Hefin David in the Welsh Parliament on Tuesday.

Dr David read out a question asked of him on Facebook by resident Rhian Jay, who asked: “Is there any idea of when the Welsh NHS vaccination app will launch please? I’m attending an event where I need proof of having had both vaccinations.

“Having raised it with the health board, they said that you can apply for a certificate in writing or by phone and you can receive a certificate, but in England you can receive the [proof of] vaccination through the app.”

Dr David added: “Rhian says that she rang this morning requesting a certificate, but it’s her feeling that it’s archaic and slow compared to the process in England, and her question is when will we see the app in Wales.

“The Welsh Government said that they would be roughly four weeks behind England before it’s launched, but that’s about now. So, please can we have an update on that?”

Responding, Mr Drakeford said: “It is true that, for technical reasons largely connected to the reconfiguration of the English solution to meet Welsh requirements, it was not possible to launch the app in Wales at the same time as it was launched in NHS England.”

But Mr Drakeford dismissed the claim the system is “archaic”.

He said: “Over 10,000 people have received certificates through that way of doing things, and it’s due to the very hard work of the team in the Swansea Bay Health Board that that’s been possible.

“Once the English system manages to do its job, and to make access for Welsh people available to it, I’m afraid it will not be available in Welsh.

“Despite repeated requests to the UK Government to respect the law here in Wales, they tell us they won’t be able to do that for several more months, but, within the next few days we do anticipate that it will be possible for Welsh citizens to use the same solution, albeit it not via the app but via a website portal.”

He added: “The journey thereafter will be identical to the app and Welsh people will be able to use it in real time in the way that the English system has been available in England since 17 May.”