NHS app upgrade will let patients choose where to be treated, says Streeting
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The NHS app is set to receive a major upgrade which will let all patients receive test results, book follow-up appointments and even choose where to be treated. The overhaul is part of the government's plan to slash waiting lists and wait times, and will "give working-class patients the same choice, control, and convenience as the wealthy receive," Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said.
Patients have a legal right to choose their provider for treatments, yet fewer than a quarter recall being offered a choice, the Department of Health said. Under new measures, patients will be offered a wider choice of providers and the app will help smooth out the booking process, it added.
Patients who need non-emergency elective treatments will be able to use the app to view and manage their appointments, choose from providers - including those in the independent sector - and book diagnostic tests. They'll also be able to receive test results and choose the next step in their care, with options including remote consultations to surgery, where appropriate.
At present, just 8% of bookings after a referral are made via the NHS app or the Manage Your Referral website - but these online services will become the default route for patients to choose their care provider under the new proposals. 'Radical' NHS reforms will be hard for a struggling workforce to achieve.
