26/08/2021
From today (Thursday 26 August 2021) Island residents can obtain their vaccination status certificate in a secure and internationally recognised digital format, via web login to the NHS COVID Pass service.
The Department of Health and Social Care has worked closely with UK partner organisations over a number of months to confirm all aspects of a uniquely complex legal and logistical project.
Island residents can now login to the service to view their vaccination record on their home computer, laptop or mobile device, and opt to download a digital version or print a paper copy of their certificate. Users will first need to register with the UK NHS to create a secure login to access their health record online. Internet access, a mobile phone and an email address are required to register for the digital service. The web based document is valid for 30 days only but can be refreshed at any time.
An alternative paper copy vaccination certificate is available for those who are unable to access a digital version of their vaccination certificate, via the NHS central customer service centre in the UK. From today, Isle of Man residents can call Freephone number 0808 1624 119 to request a paper copy of their vaccination certificate to be posted to them.
In addition, a paper certificate can be applied for online without an NHS login.
Matthew Gould, Chief Executive of NHSx, which has developed the NHS COVID Pass said:
‘The NHS COVID Pass service is helping millions of people in England and Wales to demonstrate their vaccination status easily, securely and for free; and it is great news that we can now give residents of the Isle of Man access to the pass.
‘This achievement is the result of successful joint working with the Isle of Man Government and we will continue to improve the service for the Island's residents. This includes working with the Isle of Man government so that residents can access the NHS COVID Pass using the NHS App in the future’.
Patient data has been securely shared by Manx Care with NHS Digital to enable residents to produce a COVID Pass online or request a paper certificate copy. Residents can opt out of having their records shared, noting that they will not be able to obtain the NHS COVID Pass vaccination certificate in any form. Those wishing to opt out from their data being transferred to NHS Digital should use this Vaccination Data Sharing Opt-Out form
All travellers from the Isle of Man should check the requirements in force in their destination country when booking, to ensure they can be met. These may include evidence of pre-departure COVID-19 tests and further tests or quarantine on arrival. Residents planning travel should further note that while the digital COVID Pass can be downloaded at any time, paper certificates should be requested two weeks before departure, to allow for processing and delivery at busy periods.
Residents who are unable to create a digital certificate will be automatically informed of the reason via email, letter or SMS message as per contacts on their GP record, and advised what to do next.
For callers to the Freephone service, personal details must match those held on record. Where they differ - for instance, their current address is not the same as that held on their GP record - the patient record will need to be updated before the process can continue. Individuals will be given an error code and advised to contact the Manx Care COVID Pass Resolution Team for assistance. A dedicated phone line for queries will be open on weekdays (excluding bank holidays) from Thursday 26th August between 9 and 5pm.
Residents should allow up to five days for the record to be refreshed before accessing or requesting a new pass. As with any new service there are likely to be teething problems and initial demand may be high - consequently only those who are travelling in the next month should use the service at this time.
Access to vaccination certification via the NHS app for Isle of Man residents remains under development and is not yet available. However, residents are reminded that the NHS COVID Pass can be downloaded via the web or a paper copy requested.
With NHS COVID Pass now available for Island residents in various formats, Manx Care’s provision of vaccination certificates on request will end, having been an interim solution.