Hospital patients at every NHS trust across England can
now check their referrals and appointments
through the NHS App, making it easier for
millions of people to manage their care in one place.
Around two-thirds (64 per cent) of all hospital
appointments are currently visible through
the app, with many patients also able
to reschedule or cancel appointments – helping to
cut the number of missed appointments.
The NHS App is now linked up to every acute NHS trust in England,
with the tech helping hospitals to save money by reducing the
need for paper letters and SMS text messages. The app is also
freeing up staff time and resources, which is increasing
productivity and helping reduce waiting lists.
Some 41 million people are now
registered with the NHS App
to access services such as test results,
prescriptions, patient
records, patient messaging and
appointment information from wherever they are.
More than 15 million users logged into the app during March alone
– up by almost a third over the last 12 months.
Prescription ordering through the app also rose by
more than a third, saving time for both patients and NHS staff.
Jules Hunt, Director General of Technology,
Digital and Data for the NHS, said:
“Millions of patients across England can now easily access
information about their hospital referrals and appointments
through the NHS App, giving them more control and choice about
their care and cutting out unnecessary paperwork.
“This is a great example of how we're transforming patients'
experience of healthcare and harnessing digital technology as
part of the Government's 10 Year Health Plan.
“The technology is helping to reduce missed appointments and
freeing up vital NHS staff time so they can tackle
waiting lists more effectively – and I'd encourage all NHS
App users to make the most of its features.”
Dr , Health
Innovation and Safety Minister, said:
“The NHS App is already transforming the way people manage their
care — and these figures show just how popular it is.
“With patients at every hospital now able to view their referrals
and appointments, and millions more ordering prescriptions and
receiving health messages digitally, we are cutting the admin
burden while helping to drive down waiting lists.
“Fewer missed appointments means more patients getting the
treatment they need, sooner. The NHS App is central to our
ambition of shifting the NHS from analogue to digital and giving
the patient more control - and we're only just starting there.”
Patients at all acute NHS trusts commissioned to provide services
for adults can now view their referrals and appointments through
the NHS App, with 8.7m views last month (March) - up 93% compared
to a year ago.
People being treated at around half of trusts can receive
appointment reminders via NHS App push notifications, preventing
missed appointments. They can also see health documents such as
discharge summaries in the app, reducing the need for paperwork.
New features planned for the NHS App over the next year include
follow-up appointment requests and access to specialist care
through the NHS's new online hospital.
NHS Online, which will see
its first patients next year, will transform and modernise the
delivery of healthcare by providing triage for patients through
the NHS App as well as video consultations with doctors.
The service will speed up specialist care by digitally connecting
patients with expert clinicians across England, no matter where
they are in the country, providing faster access to treatments.
The NHS App has also recently
been updated to make it simpler, more
intuitive and easier to navigate – with key services
like prescriptions, appointments and test
results quicker to find from the new homepage.
