diff --git a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/app.py b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/app.py
index 97adea76..66a5bca0 100644
--- a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/app.py
+++ b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/app.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 from eligibility_signposting_api import audit, repos, services
 from eligibility_signposting_api.common.cache_manager import FLASK_APP_CACHE_KEY, cache_manager
 from eligibility_signposting_api.common.error_handler import handle_exception
-from eligibility_signposting_api.common.request_validator import validate_request_params
 from eligibility_signposting_api.config.config import config
 from eligibility_signposting_api.logging.logs_helper import log_request_ids_from_headers
 from eligibility_signposting_api.logging.logs_manager import add_lambda_request_id_to_logger, init_logging
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ def get_or_create_app() -> Flask:
 @add_lambda_request_id_to_logger()
 @tracing_setup()
 @log_request_ids_from_headers()
-@validate_request_params()
 def lambda_handler(event: LambdaEvent, context: LambdaContext) -> dict[str, Any]:  # pragma: no cover
     """Run the Flask app as an AWS Lambda."""
     app = get_or_create_app()
diff --git a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/common/request_validator.py b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/common/request_validator.py
index 7e4cc97a..12b36844 100644
--- a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/common/request_validator.py
+++ b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/common/request_validator.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 from functools import wraps
 from typing import Any
 
-from mangum.types import LambdaContext, LambdaEvent
+from flask import request
+from flask.typing import ResponseReturnValue
 
 from eligibility_signposting_api.common.api_error_response import (
     INVALID_CATEGORY_ERROR,
@@ -55,24 +56,23 @@ def validate_nhs_number(path_nhs: str, header_nhs: str) -> bool:
 def validate_request_params() -> Callable:
     def decorator(func: Callable) -> Callable:
         @wraps(func)
-        def wrapper(event: LambdaEvent, context: LambdaContext) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
-            path_nhs_no = event.get("pathParameters", {}).get("id")
-            header_nhs_no = event.get("headers", {}).get(NHS_NUMBER_HEADER)
+        def wrapper(*args, **kwargs) -> ResponseReturnValue:
+            nhs_number = kwargs.get("nhs_number")
+            header_nhs_no = request.headers.get(NHS_NUMBER_HEADER)
 
-            if not validate_nhs_number(path_nhs_no, header_nhs_no):
+            if not validate_nhs_number(nhs_number, header_nhs_no):
                 message = "You are not authorised to request information for the supplied NHS Number"
                 return NHS_NUMBER_MISMATCH_ERROR.log_and_generate_response(log_message=message, diagnostics=message)
 
-            query_params = event.get("queryStringParameters")
+            query_params = request.args
             if query_params:
                 is_valid, problem = validate_query_params(query_params)
                 if not is_valid:
                     return problem
 
-            return func(event, context)
+            return func(*args, **kwargs)
 
         return wrapper
-
     return decorator
 
 
diff --git a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/model/campaign_config.py b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/model/campaign_config.py
index a16c52fd..4eeb8b65 100644
--- a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/model/campaign_config.py
+++ b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/model/campaign_config.py
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ def parse_dates(cls, v: str | date) -> date:
     def serialize_dates(v: date, _info: SerializationInfo) -> str:
         return v.strftime("%Y%m%d")
 
+    @cached_property
+    def virtual_cohort_labels(self) -> set[CohortLabel]:
+        return {cohort.cohort_label for cohort in self.iteration_cohorts if cohort.is_magic_cohort}
+
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         return json.dumps(self.model_dump(by_alias=True), indent=2)
 
diff --git a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/views/eligibility.py b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/views/eligibility.py
index 383d73d1..954c5540 100644
--- a/src/eligibility_signposting_api/views/eligibility.py
+++ b/src/eligibility_signposting_api/views/eligibility.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from eligibility_signposting_api.audit.audit_context import AuditContext
 from eligibility_signposting_api.audit.audit_service import AuditService
 from eligibility_signposting_api.common.api_error_response import NHS_NUMBER_NOT_FOUND_ERROR
+from eligibility_signposting_api.common.request_validator import validate_request_params
 from eligibility_signposting_api.model.eligibility_status import Condition, EligibilityStatus, NHSNumber, Status
 from eligibility_signposting_api.services import EligibilityService, UnknownPersonError
 from eligibility_signposting_api.views.response_model import eligibility_response
@@ -32,6 +33,12 @@ def before_request() -> None:
     AuditContext.add_request_details(request)
 
 
+@eligibility_blueprint.get("/_status")
+def api_status() -> ResponseReturnValue:
+    return make_response({"status": "ok", "timestamp": datetime.now(UTC).isoformat()}, HTTPStatus.OK)
+
+
+@validate_request_params()
 @eligibility_blueprint.get("/", defaults={"nhs_number": ""})
 @eligibility_blueprint.get("/<nhs_number>")
 def check_eligibility(