NHS app: What upgrade will mean for booking appointments and when will it be rolled out?
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The government has announced major upgrades to the NHS app in a bid to cut waiting times. The NHS app is getting a major upgrade as part of government’s plans to overhaul the NHS and reduce waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. Health secretary Wes Streeting said on Sunday that changes to the app would help move the NHS move “into the digital age”.
![[Changes to the NHS app should help reduce waiting lists, health secretary Wes Streeting said]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/05/11/ae451bd1966682650c14786f470858eaY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM2MTYxODUx-2.78618869.jpg)
Mr Streeting said the app updates would “put patients in the driving seat and treat them on time”, putting patients in control of their healthcare. Here’s what those changes to the NHS app look like so far. Currently, people can use the NHS app to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and choose the pharmacy they’d like to use to collect their medication.
People can also use it to see their GP health record, book COVID-19 vaccinations and register as an organ donor. The app can also show people their NHS number. A small number of people, depending on their GP surgery or local hospital, can also currently use the app to message their GP surgery, manage their hospital or other healthcare appointments and care plans, and access services on behalf of someone they care for.
The feature that allows some patients to contact their GP or hospital through the app will be expanded to cover most people who require non-urgent treatment. The upgraded platform will allow patients who need non-emergency elective treatment to choose from a range of providers, including those in the independent sector.
Users will also be able to view and manage appointments, book tests and checks at convenient locations such as community diagnostic centres, receive test results, and book any necessary follow up appointments, such as a remote consultations or surgery.
