Scotland told to learn from England's NHS ‘doctor in pocket'
The prime minister promised patients south of the border 'a doctor in your pocket' as part of plans to make the technology, which has already been in use in England for more than six years, an 'indispensable' part of everyday life.
Wes Streeting, the UK health secretary, has said the technology will become 'critical national infrastructure' for Britain, offering health advice and including detailed digitised patient records and potentially live video chats with consultants and bespoke health coaching.
In contrast, an app for the Scottish health service, first announced in 2021, is not expected to launch on a trial basis until December. Its functionality will be severely restricted initially, when its sole practical purpose will be allowing dermatology patients in just one area, Lanarkshire, to receive appointment letters.
The lack of progress in Scotland has been branded a 'national embarrassment' with the SNP facing questions over why it did not seek to adapt England's technology for the devolved health service, rather than insisting on developing its own version.
Stephen Kerr, the Tory MSP, said: 'The Scottish government's approach to delivering a simple NHS app for patients has been expensive, incompetent and frankly insulting to those who just want reliable access to their own health records and services.
'They have spent £17 million with nothing meaningful delivered except delays, excuses and a narrow pilot limited to one specialty in one health board.
'Instead of wasting yet more time and money reinventing the wheel for separatist political reasons, ministers should work constructively with the UK government to give people in Scotland access to the NHS app that is already up and running in England.
'Patients deserve joined-up systems that work — not a vanity project stuck in perpetual development.'
The NHS app in England, which has 35 million users, already allows patients to book appointments at GP services, order prescriptions and manage hospital appointments. Denmark introduced a digital system two decades ago.
This week, Starmer told an audience of frontline NHS staff in east London that private industries had revamped their offerings dramatically around apps and that the NHS should be no different.
He said: 'We will transform the NHS app so it becomes an indispensable part of life for everyone. It will become, as technology develops, like having a doctor in your pocket, providing you with 24-hour advice, seven days a week.'
The 'supercharged' version of the app is promised in England by 2028, with other goals including video calls with consultants, AI advice on symptoms and personalised lifestyle advice and health coaching.
Meanwhile, the app in Scotland, the functionality of which remains unclear, is not set to fully roll out nationally until 2030.
Chris Williams, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland, said that although 'we have waited a long time,' he remained supportive of the approach taken by Scotland to develop its own app, citing the 'significant differences' in how NHS systems and records are structured.
He said he did not believe it would be possible for the NHS England app to 'simply be used in the Scottish healthcare setting' and that different priorities would make it 'less applicable'.
He added: 'There are lessons to be learned from the English example and avoiding creating extra pressure in general practice, especially in regard to managing the lifelong records of patients, that in some cases will contain historical information with language and terminology that belongs in the past.
'People in Scotland currently have 24/7 access to information about health and services via the NHS Inform website. We understand that there is a review taking place of the NHS Inform website that will lead to improvements to ensure that information is relevant, up-to-date and checked by subject matter experts.'
A Scottish government spokesman said: 'The NHS England app was developed to support England's NHS trusts and is configured specifically to their IT infrastructure. We have, however, already engaged extensively with NHS England and with other health systems, to explore how we can take learning from other approaches in developing our service.
'Scotland's planned online app is for both health and social care and we will launch it in Lanarkshire by the end of 2025. National rollout will commence through 2026, and we will publish a national rollout plan later this summer.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
Labour might be down, but it's not necessarily out - voters reflect on a year in power
"There's only one relationship that really matters," a senior figure in government told me in the middle of Labour's dreadful week, where ministers lost control of their backbenchers. "It's the one with the voters." Well, that relationship has soured since Labour has been in power. After days of frenzied coverage in Westminster around an anniversary the party might rather forget, what is the state of that vital relationship?We gathered a group of Labour's 2024 voters together to delve into what's gone wrong, according to those who matter the most – the public. Our participants were from two constituencies in Kent: Dartford and Gravesham. Both seats were won by Labour in the heady days of July 2024, thanks not only to Labour's campaign itself, but the collapse of the Conservative vote. And the swing to Sir Keir Starmer's party in both places was enormous, nearly 20%.Our panel was selected by the political research group, More in Common, and the questions were asked to the group not by me, but by its director, Luke Tryl. It's worth knowing too, when our panel was recruited, they were not told they would be asked about could have been for any other market research exercise, for washing powder or water bills, rather than anything to do with Westminster - so it wasn't a gathering of political our group, who all voted Labour last time, certainly had a strong sense of what has happened to the government they elected just twelve months ago, and it wasn't of all, we asked the group about their impressions of Labour's first year back in office, overwhelming sense, and one of the words used most often was "disappointed". "I've always been Labour, but I expected much more from them," Yvette, who's 57 and a nutritionist said. "I thought they'd be there for the people."Kelly is 35, and a stay-at-home mum. She was frustrated about what she sees as a lack of progress on immigration. "Everything they promised, nothing has come of it yet," Kelly said. "Immigration is a big thing for me."Adam, is an illustrator aged 37. He was a bit more forgiving of Sir Keir's problems: "They are patching things up, the first year is not the year to push the big ideas, let's steady the ship."But 30-year-old Sodiq, who owns his own business, reckons Labour hadn't been completely straight about what its plans were to start with."I think a lot of the things that were promised were never going to happen," Sodiq who's 35 and a teacher, even told us, "I feel lied to". What about the chaos of Parliament this week, and Labour's many changes of direction since they've been in office? The group had definitely noticed what had gone on in the last seven days, not always the case when it comes to shenanigans in a 64-year-old carer, had seen the chancellor's tears and had some sympathy."I think she's trying her best - there are going to be teething problems, it's only the first year." But she said, "crying at the Commons the other day and Keir Starmer didn't even notice, but everyone else did? Sometimes I think, 'Is it the pressure getting to her?'".Hayley, who is a personal assistant, was also dubious that Sir Keir didn't notice, but reckons the government deserves more time."You can't turn the country round in a year," the 40-year-old it was clear the group had reservations about Labour's repeated shifts in position - whether on welfare this week, or winter fuel praising Sir Keir for listening, Adam said: "What happened this week - another U-turn - was worrying, it pushes the idea that there is no direction."Yvette said "if he makes a decision he should stand by it", changes of heart were like " In the general election there were big shifts towards Reform UK, even though they didn't win either the Dartford or Gravesham Kent was one of the 10 councils Farage's party took control of in the local elections this progress has certainly been noticed. Kelly said: "They are picking away at figures and picking away at other things – they seem to be doing things, and proactive."Given how Reform is doing in the national polls, consistently ahead of the other political parties, it was no surprise that some of the group were thinking about giving Nigel Farage a chance next time round."If there were an election tomorrow I would vote for him," Yvette said, suggesting he should be given a chance even though "a lot of bad things are said about him". But Sodiq said: "I'm at the other end of the scale. He's a politician, like others, who says things people want to hear, and people generally are not comfortable with the two main parties, and just want to try something else."Labour is worried by their grisly position in the polls, and there's something of a sense of bewilderment too about just how shaky things have got in the last few at senior levels, sources believe if they keep on keeping on, eventually, many voters like those we met this weekend will return to them if hopes for improvements in the NHS and the economy come to pass. Sign up for the Off Air with Laura K newsletter to get Laura Kuenssberg's expert insight and insider stories every week, emailed directly to you. Watch tomorrow to hear the advice that our group would give Sir Keir Starmer in order to improve, to make that course this is only a taste of what's on some voter's minds in just two constituencies, but the mood was certainly disappointed with what has, and has not happened since Labour moved back into power. But there was a sense, a grudging willingness among these Labour voters to give Sir Keir and the government more twelve months, Labour is most certainly down, but not necessarily out. Top image credit: Reuters BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
DAN HODGES: This is who's REALLY to blame for the crushing failure of Labour's first year - despite the shocking thing Starmer's allies have told me about the party's MPs
A year ago, Keir Starmer penned one of his first articles since becoming Prime Minister. It focused on immigration. 'I will make it clear that secure borders are a priority for my government,' he declared, with chronically misplaced bravado. 'What did all the rhetoric and grandstanding of the previous government amount to? A legacy of failure. When I say we must smash the gangs, I mean it.' He concluded with this peroration. 'My government is rolling up its sleeves and getting the job done. Grown-up politics, back in the service of working people.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘A mess of our own making': Labour mayors reflect on Starmer's first year
Keir Starmer's government appears 'disjointed' from the rest of the Labour party just a year after taking power, regional mayors have said, with one blaming No 10 for overseeing 'a mess of our own making'. Steve Rotheram, the Labour mayor of Liverpool city region, said Downing Street's repeated missteps were 'winding up' people who wanted to back the government. Speaking as the party marked 12 months in government after a stunning election win last summer, during which Starmer campaigned on an agenda of national renewal centred around a message of 'change', Rotherham said people were willing to forgive the occasional miscalculation but that the climbdowns over winter fuel payments and the welfare bill had left Starmer's operation looking like 'a mess'. He said: 'What I think has exacerbated this feeling by many, not just politicians but people around the country, who look at this and think it's a mess. Well, it's a mess of our own making,' he said. 'We could have avoided some of this by just listening to some of the people in the party who want to support Starmer, want to support Labour, but are finding it difficult because the mistakes are made and they could have been avoided.' Rotheram, a former MP who was elected as first Liverpool city region mayor in 2017, said the government appeared 'disjointed' from the rest of Labour. He added: 'I don't think it's necessarily about Keir or Keir's team necessarily – although there are definitely some siren voices around all of that – but I do think it's about the feeling that there's a lack of connectivity between different bits of the party.' Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, urged Starmer to place the devolution of power at the heart of his premiership. She said 'The devolution revolution has been all too quickly forgotten by some [government] departments' despite mayors 'driving incredible change for our communities bringing growth, hope and optimism'. Brabin, a former shadow culture secretary who took office in West Yorkshire in 2021, said Labour had an opportunity to win back the trust of voters who had 'lost confidence in politicians ability to improve their lives' by backing mayors with more powers. The call was repeated by Oliver Coppard, the Labour mayor of South Yorkshire, who urged government ministers to invest more in frontline policing in the region and in its cultural sector. But he said ministers appeared 'genuinely interested' in what he was trying to achieve in South Yorkshire, describing dealings with them as 'chalk and cheese' compared with the 'absolute shambles' under the Conservatives. 'The difference is I think this government listens and I hope this government learns. That certainly seems to be the case. I want things to go better, of course I do, because what's good for South Yorkshire is good for this country and vice versa.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Angela Rayner, the local government secretary, has promised to extend devolution to all parts of England, starting with new combined authorities in six regions – Cumbria, Cheshire, Essex, Hampshire, East Anglia and Sussex – due to elect metro mayors in May 2026, with a further scheme in Lancashire. That would mean almost 70% of England's population, about 40 million people, would be represented by 21 mayors with various levels of devolved powers. The Institute for Government said the plans could mark 'the start of a generational shift in power' away from Whitehall. Rotheram urged Starmer's government to use its existing mayors more frequently as a way of demonstrating the party's successes. 'My message is that we are here to help,' he said. 'There are things we can all do that will help the party demonstrate its economic competence. We haven't been used as much as we could and should have been, and hopefully we will in the future'.
