A ‘beta’ version of the new NHS Wales App is being trialled this month with 1,000 people across ten GP practices.
The private ‘beta’ phase has opened to test the functionality and features included in the app, ahead of a wider public launch next year. During the beta phase, Digital Health Care Wales aims to receive feedback, and identify issues and bugs in the software.
Once rolled out, the NHS Wales App will provide people with access to health and care services through their smartphone, and the ability to book appointments, see test results and order prescriptions.
Digital Health and Care Wales said: “After months of hard work and development within the Digital Services for Patients and Public programme, the private ‘beta’ phase allows users to test the functionality and features to be included.
“People will be able to access information in the app by using NHS Login for account authentication and verification in the first instance. Then login will be available using device capabilities such as fingerprint or facial recognition. A website version is also available allowing access through a similar password protected and safe process.”
The longer term aim for the app is for people in Wales to access a wider range of health, care and wellbeing services, so they can proactively manage every aspect of their health. This could include access to social care services, information from self-monitoring devices such as smartwatches, wellbeing services, and data held by third sector organisations, Digital Health Care Wales noted.
In England, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay recently delivered a speech focusing on the opportunity to promote better use of the NHS app, “which should be much more central to how people access health services.” He said: “I very much welcome that so many GPs are now making their patient records and testing results available on the NHS app, and I think there are significant opportunities to harness the NHS app further – particularly in the context of pressures in primary care, but more widely on preventative medicine.”
HTN recently reported on plans in Wales to evaluate AI pain management tech and the launch from Digital Health and Care Wales of a new digital inclusion charter.
