Millions to receive NHS screening invitations and appointment reminders on their phones
Appointment reminders, invitations to health screenings and test results will now be received by patients on their phones.
The government says moving to a more digital-focused NHS will mean 50 million fewer letters need to be sent out by the health service, saving an estimated £200m over the next three years.
Instead, under the new plans, millions of people will be notified about appointments and other important notices via the NHS app on their phone or digital device.
The app is set to become the go-to method for the NHS to communicate with people, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
The changes will be backed by more than £50m investment. It will see a predicted 270 million messages sent through the app this year, an increase of around 70 million on the last financial year, the government announced.
The modernisation of the NHS will also lead to fewer missed appointments, and therefore save money that way too, it is hoped.
In 2023/24, there were around eight million missed appointments in elective care and almost one in three people missed a screening appointment.
Currently, around 20 million people have opted in to receive messages from the NHS app.
Other features in the pipeline – though not yet available – include being able to add appointments to phone calendars and request help from local GPs on the app.
