Millions to receive NHS screening invitations and appointment reminders on their phones

Appointment reminders, invitations to wellness screenings and trial results volition present beryllium received by patients connected their phones.

The authorities says moving to a much digital-focused NHS volition mean 50 cardinal less letters request to beryllium sent retired by the wellness service, redeeming an estimated £200m implicit the adjacent 3 years.

Instead, nether the caller plans, millions of radical volition beryllium notified astir appointments and different important notices via the NHS app connected their telephone oregon integer device.

The app is acceptable to go the go-to method for the NHS to pass with people, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

The changes volition beryllium backed by much than £50m investment. It volition spot a predicted 270 cardinal messages sent done the app this year, an summation of astir 70 cardinal connected the past fiscal year, the authorities announced.

Wes Streeting has said this is each astir modernising, arsenic the NHS "feels truthful 20th century".

The wellness caput said: "The information that radical inactive get letters done the beforehand door, sometimes aggregate letters astir the aforesaid appointment... The NHS has been stuck successful the mud erstwhile it comes to the mundane exertion we usage to organise our lives. And that's wherefore what we're doing with the NHS app is truly exciting."

Mr Streeting said the app volition marque utilizing the NHS much convenient, and springiness patients much control, portion redeeming money. He said these funds tin past beryllium invested backmost into the wellness service, to bolster things specified arsenic frontline care.

Using the NHS app should beryllium 'as joyful arsenic Netflix'

The modernisation of the NHS volition besides pb to less missed appointments, and truthful prevention wealth that mode too, it is hoped.

In 2023/24, determination were astir 8 cardinal missed appointments successful elective attraction and astir 1 successful 3 radical missed a screening appointment.

Currently, astir 20 cardinal radical person opted successful to person messages from the NHS app.

Pushed connected however the authorities volition guarantee that cipher is near behind, Mr Streeting said: "If idiosyncratic similar maine is booking my assignment done the app due to the fact that that's what I similar to do, [then] that's freeing up a telephone enactment for idiosyncratic who wants to get done and speech to a person."

He added that greater usage of the app volition springiness radical much prime successful "how you privation to organise your care".

The furniture curate besides made a bold comparison, saying helium wishes that the NHS app is arsenic enjoyable arsenic utilizing streaming elephantine Netflix.

He said: "The NHS app really has much subscribers than Netflix. It would beryllium a truly fantastic happening if utilizing the NHS app felt - if not arsenic joyful - astir arsenic joyful arsenic utilizing Netflix."

Read more:
Almost £450m invested successful NHS successful England
NHS waiting database increases for archetypal clip successful months

Other features successful the pipeline - though not yet disposable - see being capable to adhd appointments to telephone calendars and petition assistance from section GPs connected the app.