As part of its migration to app-based messaging, the NHS will only send communications to patients via physical letters as a last resort.
In a statement announcing that millions more patients will receive messages from the NHS through the NHS App, the government said that it would shift its focus on patient communication to prioritise the smartphone app.
“As part of this digital-first transformation, over the next three years, patients in England will receive all appropriate NHS messages through the App first. Where app messaging is not available, communications will be sent via SMS and then by letter as a last resort,” the government said.
It noted that people without access to smartphones and elderly patients would still be able to receive messages through traditional routes, ensuring they do not miss vital information.
By focusing on app-based communication, the NHS may also free up its phone lines, making it easier for patients unable to use the app to get the information they need.
This approach would avoid the need for at least 50 million costly letters to be sent through the postal system, it said.
More patients to receive NHS notifications
The government announced that millions of more patients will begin to receive appointment reminders, screening invitations, and test results through the NHS App.
Push notifications from the NHS App will remind patients about upcoming appointments and relay important message.
This forms part of the shift to digital-first communication that will see an expected 270 million messages sent through the NHS App to patients this year, and the government said this shift will save an estimated £200 million across the system over the next three years.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said he hoped to make the experience of being a patient in the NHS ‘as convenient as ordering a takeaway’.
“People are living increasingly busy lives and want to access information about their health at the touch of a button, rather than having to wait weeks for letters that often arrive too late,” he said.
“The NHS still spends hundreds of millions of pounds on stamps, printing, and envelopes. By modernising the health service, we can free up huge amounts of funding to reinvest in the frontline.”
The NHS App is expected to receive further updates in the near future, including the ability for users to add appointments to their smartphone calendars and request help from their GP surgery. The app will also add support for faster login methods, such as Face ID.
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