NHS Digital has launched a digital assessment portal to streamline and improve the process for developers seeking to have their app included on the NHS Apps Library.
The portal went live on 20 May in a public beta before plans to fully launch in September. It will act as an online self-service tool for developers, with an aim to increase the volume of apps on the library. The platform also means approved assessors will review and approve the apps for inclusion within the library.
Commenting on the announcement, Liz Ashall-Payne, CEO and Co-Founder of ORCHA said to HTN “As an approved assessor working closely with NHS Digital to review apps, we at ORCHA welcome this move. It provides developers with a digital front door into the NHS Digital review process and feeds well into the reviews we then conduct. It is a great first step in streamlining the whole journey for app developers.”
There are currently over 70 apps listed on the platform, however there are 325,000 apps health apps to choose from and four million health apps are being downloaded every day.
Ian Phoenix, Director of Citizen Technology at NHS Digital, said: “Health and care is one of the fastest growing segments in the apps market, with literally hundreds of thousands of apps available in smartphone apps stores. We know patients really value having an NHS library which they can use as a trusted source of information on which apps are safe and effective.”
“It is therefore no surprise that there is high demand among developers to have their apps considered for inclusion and the launch of this digital portal should help accelerate that process to give patients the options of more apps, improving their ability to look after their own health and wellbeing.”
“This is about streamlining the process, but apps will still need to meet the same rigorous NHS standards to pass the assessment to appear on the library.”
