Digitising the NHS to give patients more control over their care
NHS England is digitising key services and expanding the NHS App to give patients in England more control over their care, reduce reliance on paper and support more coordinated, personalised and secure healthcare.
Our goal
The NHS App will be the secure single digital front door to the NHS, giving patients control of their health records, access to care, and personalised digital services. Care more widely will happen digitally by default, in a patient’s home where possible, and only in a physical place where needed or preferred.
What this means for you
This initiative applies to people who use the NHS App in England and Wales.
If you use NHS services in England, you’ll be able to:
- Manage everything in one place: you’ll be able to easily manage prescriptions, book and change appointments, and access your own health record in one place, through the NHS App.
- Get personalised support: you’ll have access to new digital tools designed to help you manage specific health conditions and get more coordinated care.
- Have more control: the NHS App is your secure single digital front door to the NHS, giving you control over what information about you gets shared.
If you work in the NHS, you’ll experience:
- Better-informed care: NHS staff will benefit from a single, joined-up view of patient information.
- Less admin: staff will have access to the right tools and systems they need to focus on patient care, not paperwork.
Our progress so far
September 2025: increased the connectivity between services through the NHS App and beyond
Patients are increasingly able to track their prescriptions, to book appointments, or to receive communications directly in the NHS App, while pregnant women can self-refer directly into local maternity services without having to see a GP first. Genetic data is being integrated with breast screening services, while additional products – including for mental health treatment – have been made available to staff through the Federated Data Platform.
What we’re planning to do next
Over 2026 there will be a steady drumbeat of more care services being digitised:
- April 2026: through the NHS App, you’ll increasingly be able to track your prescriptions, access online appointments, and manage outpatient appointments. Over 100 millions messages will be delivered through the NHS App instead of sending paper letters, giving you live access to information you need about your health in one place.
- May 2026: if you use mental health services, you’ll be able to manage your appointments online at most mental health trusts through ‘Patient Engagement Portals’.
- June 2026: patients for whom it’s suitable will be able to access a new home-testing service for HPV screening and it’ll be easier for you to get important health checks on heart or blood related concerns, with an online version of the NHS Health Check service piloted across at least 50 GP practices and 10 local authorities.
December 2028: launch ‘Single Patient Record’ in the NHS App
You’ll have a single, secure record of your health data stored in the NHS App. This will give you control and transparency over your health information and help NHS staff deliver care that is more coordinated and personalised to you.
December 2028: get safer, and easier access to new digital tools
A new ‘Health Store App Marketplace’ will launch, allowing you to find and use approved digital products to help you manage your health conditions. NHS staff will get a single sign-on system which will allow them to access tools faster, so they can spend more time focusing on your care.
More information
The Department for Health and Social Care will be setting out more detail in due course, for more information about this work, read the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England.