I’ve created a bot that updates several Telegram channels when there’s availability for PCR test appointments with the HSE. There is a channel for every county.

If you are refreshing the HSE booking portal over and over this might be useful for you:

Telegram channel links:

* [Carlow](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_carlow)
* [Cavan](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_cavan)
* [Clare](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_clare)
* [Cork](https://t.me/hse_pcr_appointment_alerts_cork)
* [Donegal](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_donegal)
* [Dublin](https://t.me/hse_pcr_appointment_alerts_dub)
* [Galway](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_galway)
* [Kerry](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_kerry)
* [Kildare](https://t.me/+sZ3o-C6fPOg2YTQ0)
* [Kilkenny](https://t.me/+orGFYWP0b1oyMzU0)
* [Laois](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_laois)
* [Leitrim](https://t.me/+IhuRv_c0eWs3MzY0)
* [Limerick](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_limerick)
* [Longford](https://t.me/+5g2tek1deeoxOTA8)
* [Louth](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_louth)
* [Mayo](https://t.me/+Zgd1raMEycczOWVk)
* [Meath](https://t.me/+a_WBHMOeRz1iM2I8)
* [Monaghan](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_monaghan)
* [Offaly](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_offaly)
* [Roscommon](https://t.me/+P2RgPb1yUiYwODRk)
* [Sligo](https://t.me/+DauRX3922pwzNGQ0)
* [Tipperary](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_tipperary)
* [Waterford](https://t.me/+2vuLBukBbg43ZDVk)
* [Westmeath](https://t.me/+5_TDDFs2tU41M2Q0)
* [Wexford](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_wexford)
* [Wicklow](https://t.me/hse_pcr_test_alerts_wicklow)

Source code for those interested: [https://github.com/williamoconnorme/hse-pcr-test-appointment-alerts](https://github.com/williamoconnorme/hse-pcr-test-appointment-alerts)

Shameless plug for my blog where I’ll keep updating with any changes:

[https://williamoconnor.me/blog/hse-pcr-test-appointment-alerts](https://williamoconnor.me/blog/hse-pcr-test-appointment-alerts)

21 comments

  2. This is very cool, something like this should be first party rather than creating artificial scarcity.

    Let people say ‘i need a test’ and push to them when a test becomes available rather than having them poll.

    –

    Sorry to clarify – I mean that having everyone compete online like ticket master makes no sense.

    You should register your need for a test and be allocated one in the coming days, or told you’ll be given one when ones available.

    Having everyone spam the site is the artificial part I meant.

  4. Currently queueing for one right now, managed to get one at new years eve midnight when people dropped their guard. Suffice to say they were still gone within the minute.

  8. Fair play. Thank you. Hopefully this will save people a lot of stress.

    The HSE are genuinely useless. Embarrassing that someone has to make this pretty vital feature of their own accord, given the circumstances. Sounds like something a health service should do.

  9. I was wondering if this was available. Thank you. I have joined my county’s channel. Will I get a notification if a booking is available?

  11. Thanks for this! There are tonnes of updates on the dublin channel before 10am today but none since. Is that correct? Seems a bit odd.

  15. Few more years of people doing stuff like this and the heads of the HSE might actually notice that there is a problem with the service they provide

  16. Thanks for making this. I’m wondering is there something I’m missing as I am clicking on the notifications as soon they come up and go through the hse questions for there to be no slots available.

    Are they just getting booked up immediately or should I be doing something different.

  18. Has something been changed again today? Haven’t got any Dublin alerts since 9:33 this morning. Great work by the way!

  19. Swiftqueue needs to protect the HSE PCR booking system and API endpoints better + could add a CAPTCHA layer (or otherwise) to prevent automated scraping and booking. This potentially could be addressed quickly with something like Cloudflare as there are different nameservers for this test booking domain versus the primary [hse.ie](https://hse.ie) domain. It needs to be a level playing field + they need to up their game on “abuse”.

  21. Great work! Is Kilkenny working? I don’t see any alerts at all in there but do for Carlow, Kildare etc?

Leave a Reply