Case Study: Department of Health Northern Ireland launches rapid Covid-19 advisory mobile app in two weeks with Civica

Department of Health Northern Ireland - Customer Case Study

The Department of Health Northern Ireland needed a rapid way to give the public immediate, trusted COVID‑19 advice and reduce demand on GPs, pharmacies and other community services as the pandemic evolved. Civica (working with Big Motive and the Department’s Digital Team) was commissioned to deliver a dedicated mobile app and turned the brief around in just two weeks.

Civica delivered a simple-to-download app featuring an in‑app symptom checker, a natural‑language chatbot and push notifications to update users as guidance changed. Launched one of the first tools of its kind in the UK and Ireland, the app provided early, accessible guidance to help ease pressure on primary care and to assist the Department in tracking COVID‑19 for service planning — with the two‑week development and deployment time cited as a key measurable achievement.

Department of Health Northern Ireland

Robin Swann

Health Minister