Latest news with #NHSApp
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Millions more to get test results via NHS app, government says
The NHS app will become the default method of communication for millions more patients in England and save the health service £200m over the next three years, the government has said. More test results, screening invitations and appointment reminders will be sent directly to smartphones as part of a £50m investment in the app, in a move away from traditional communication methods such as letters. It is estimated that at least 50 million letters are sent to patients each year. The Department of Health and Social Care said that people who cannot access app messaging - including elderly patients - will receive text messages and then a letter as a last resort, and NHS phone lines would be freed up. The department says 270 million messages will be sent through the NHS app this financial year - an increase of 70 million on the previous year. Push notifications will provide appointment reminders to patients to try to reduce the risk of no attendance - with around eight million missed appointments in elective care missed in 2023/24. Work is also under way to enable users of the app to add appointments to their phone calendars and request help from their local GP surgeries. Figures show that more than 11 million people in the UK log into the NHS app every month, while almost 20 million are opted in to receive healthcare messages from the app. It is hoped the changes will give patients better access to manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about their care. NHS app services, which were launched in December 2018, are now used in 87% of hospitals across England. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said further investment in the app would bring the NHS into the digital age so that being a patient was as "convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway". He added that moving away from paper communication could free up funding for front line services. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient's Association, said the upgrade was a "significant step in modernising how patients receive information". The British Medical Association (BMA) has previously warned that a reliance on apps to the NHS to communicate with patients risked alienating patients who don't have access to digital technology. It followed the government's announcement in January that it planned to allow more patients in England to book treatments and appointments through the app. Last month, NHS England announced millions of patients would be able to get "Amazon-style" tracking updates on their prescriptions through the app, to check if their medicines are ready to collect or have been despatched for delivery. New app trial cuts skin cancer referrals by 50% NHS App upgrade to give patients more choice over treatment Patients to get full access to record on NHS App
South Wales Guardian
20 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
NHS app to become default source for appointments, screenings and test results
Millions more people will receive personal health information directly to their smartphones within the next three years in a move that is expected to save the health service £200 million, the Department of Health and Social Care said. It will also avoid the need for at least 50 million NHS letters being sent by post each year, with the Health Secretary likening the shift from analogue to digital to 'online banking or ordering a takeaway'. The £50 million investment will see 270 million messages sent through the NHS app this year, an increase of 70 million on the previous financial year. Push notifications will provide appointment reminders to patients to try to reduce the risk of no attendance, with around eight million missed appointments in elective care missed in 2023/24. 📱 Do you have your NHS App notifications on? 📩 To help patients, over 160 million messages were sent via the NHS App in the last year. ✅ Turn notifications on to get the most out of your NHS App. Learn more: — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 7, 2025 More than 11 million people in the UK currently log into the NHS app every month, while almost 20 million are opted in to receive healthcare messages from the app. Where app messaging is not available, particularly for elderly patients without smartphones, communications will be sent via text message and then by letter as a last resort and phone lines will be freed up. It is hoped the changes will give patients better access to manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about their care. NHS app services, which were launched in December 2018, are now used in 87% of hospitals across England. Last month, NHS England announced millions of patients would be able to get 'Amazon-style' tracking updates on their prescriptions through the app, to check if their medicines are ready to collect or have been despatched for delivery. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'People are living increasingly busy lives and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than having to wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. 'This Government is bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, so that being a patient in the NHS is as convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway. 'The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the front line. 'Through the investment and reform in our Plan for Change, we will make the NHS App the front door to the health service and put power in the hands of patients.' Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient's Association, said: 'This major upgrade to the NHS App marks a significant step in modernising how patients receive information, from test results to screening invitations. 'This was a recommendation from our Digital Coalition and realises changes that patients have asked for. 'We welcome this investment and the ambition behind it. Success for any digital innovation will be the implementation of the Digital Inclusion Plan and working directly with patients and communities.'
ITV News
a day ago
- Health
- ITV News
NHS app to become default source for appointments, screenings and test results
The NHS app will become the default method of communication for patients seeking appointment reminders, screening invitations and test results as part of a major investment. Millions more people will receive personal health information directly to their smartphones within the next three years in a move that is expected to save the health service £200 million, the Department of Health and Social Care said. It will also avoid the need for at least 50 million NHS letters being sent by post each year, with the Health Secretary likening the shift from analogue to digital to 'online banking or ordering a takeaway'. The £50 million investment will see 270 million messages sent through the NHS app this year, an increase of 70 million on the previous financial year. Push notifications will provide appointment reminders to patients to try to reduce the risk of no attendance, with around eight million missed appointments in elective care missed in 2023/24. More than 11 million people in the UK currently log into the NHS app every month, while almost 20 million are opted in to receive healthcare messages from the app. Where app messaging is not available, particularly for elderly patients without smartphones, communications will be sent via text message and then by letter as a last resort and phone lines will be freed up. It is hoped the changes will give patients better access to manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about their care. NHS app services, which were launched in December 2018, are now used in 87% of hospitals across England. Last month, NHS England announced millions of patients would be able to get 'Amazon-style' tracking updates on their prescriptions through the app, to check if their medicines are ready to collect or have been despatched for delivery. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'People are living increasingly busy lives and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than having to wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. 'This Government is bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, so that being a patient in the NHS is as convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway. 'The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the front line. 'Through the investment and reform in our Plan for Change, we will make the NHS App the front door to the health service and put power in the hands of patients.' Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient's Association, said: 'This major upgrade to the NHS App marks a significant step in modernising how patients receive information, from test results to screening invitations. 'This was a recommendation from our Digital Coalition and realises changes that patients have asked for. 'We welcome this investment and the ambition behind it. Success for any digital innovation will be the implementation of the Digital Inclusion Plan and working directly with patients and communities.'
Leader Live
a day ago
- Health
- Leader Live
NHS app to become default source for appointments, screenings and test results
Millions more people will receive personal health information directly to their smartphones within the next three years in a move that is expected to save the health service £200 million, the Department of Health and Social Care said. It will also avoid the need for at least 50 million NHS letters being sent by post each year, with the Health Secretary likening the shift from analogue to digital to 'online banking or ordering a takeaway'. The £50 million investment will see 270 million messages sent through the NHS app this year, an increase of 70 million on the previous financial year. Push notifications will provide appointment reminders to patients to try to reduce the risk of no attendance, with around eight million missed appointments in elective care missed in 2023/24. 📱 Do you have your NHS App notifications on? 📩 To help patients, over 160 million messages were sent via the NHS App in the last year. ✅ Turn notifications on to get the most out of your NHS App. Learn more: — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 7, 2025 More than 11 million people in the UK currently log into the NHS app every month, while almost 20 million are opted in to receive healthcare messages from the app. Where app messaging is not available, particularly for elderly patients without smartphones, communications will be sent via text message and then by letter as a last resort and phone lines will be freed up. It is hoped the changes will give patients better access to manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about their care. NHS app services, which were launched in December 2018, are now used in 87% of hospitals across England. Last month, NHS England announced millions of patients would be able to get 'Amazon-style' tracking updates on their prescriptions through the app, to check if their medicines are ready to collect or have been despatched for delivery. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'People are living increasingly busy lives and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than having to wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. 'This Government is bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, so that being a patient in the NHS is as convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway. 'The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the front line. 'Through the investment and reform in our Plan for Change, we will make the NHS App the front door to the health service and put power in the hands of patients.' Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient's Association, said: 'This major upgrade to the NHS App marks a significant step in modernising how patients receive information, from test results to screening invitations. 'This was a recommendation from our Digital Coalition and realises changes that patients have asked for. 'We welcome this investment and the ambition behind it. Success for any digital innovation will be the implementation of the Digital Inclusion Plan and working directly with patients and communities.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
NHS app to become default source for appointments, screenings and test results
It will also avoid the need for at least 50 million NHS letters being sent by post each year, with the Health Secretary likening the shift from analogue to digital to 'online banking or ordering a takeaway'. The £50 million investment will see 270 million messages sent through the NHS app this year, an increase of 70 million on the previous financial year. Push notifications will provide appointment reminders to patients to try to reduce the risk of no attendance, with around eight million missed appointments in elective care missed in 2023/24. 📱 Do you have your NHS App notifications on? 📩 To help patients, over 160 million messages were sent via the NHS App in the last year. ✅ Turn notifications on to get the most out of your NHS App. Learn more: — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 7, 2025 More than 11 million people in the UK currently log into the NHS app every month, while almost 20 million are opted in to receive healthcare messages from the app. Where app messaging is not available, particularly for elderly patients without smartphones, communications will be sent via text message and then by letter as a last resort and phone lines will be freed up. It is hoped the changes will give patients better access to manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about their care. NHS app services, which were launched in December 2018, are now used in 87% of hospitals across England. Last month, NHS England announced millions of patients would be able to get 'Amazon-style' tracking updates on their prescriptions through the app, to check if their medicines are ready to collect or have been despatched for delivery. Health Secretary Wes Streeting says modernising the NHS can save money that can be reinvested in the front line (PA) Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'People are living increasingly busy lives and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than having to wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late. 'This Government is bringing our analogue health service into the digital age, so that being a patient in the NHS is as convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway. 'The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the front line. 'Through the investment and reform in our Plan for Change, we will make the NHS App the front door to the health service and put power in the hands of patients.' Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient's Association, said: 'This major upgrade to the NHS App marks a significant step in modernising how patients receive information, from test results to screening invitations. 'This was a recommendation from our Digital Coalition and realises changes that patients have asked for. 'We welcome this investment and the ambition behind it. Success for any digital innovation will be the implementation of the Digital Inclusion Plan and working directly with patients and communities.'
