Apps

NHS England plans independent review into 10 healthcare apps to consider enhancements for NHS App

NHS England has opened a contract opportunity for a supplier to provide an independent and comprehensive review of user experience in healthcare.

The programme will focus on a review of the user experience, features and functionality across 10 healthcare apps, with an aim to provide key insights and recommendations for the NHS to consider for future enhancements to the NHS App.

Currently the NHS App has a user rating on the Apple App Store of 2.9/5, from over 9,400 reviews, and on Google Play from 34,100 reviews, has a user rating score of 3.2/5.

The contract is valued at £41,666.67, with a deadline to apply by 12 September 2023. To find out more, view the contract notice here.

In June, we reported on plans to introduce mental health and MSK tools into the NHS App, where Lord Markham said: “The first mental health and musculoskeletal products will be available via the NHS App later this year, allowing 24/7 access to suit lifestyle factors without the need for a clinician referral.”

Recently at an NHS England board meeting, discussions focused on how technology is a “critical” element service of transformation and how a new framework is planned to tackle digital inclusion. On the NHS App, the meeting discussed the opportunities to improve access to the App, along with releasing capacity and streamlining service provision.

In our feature series on patient-facing tech, we explored service delivery, patient engagement, patient-provider relationships and equitable access for digital patient tools.