The Department of Health and Social Care has detailed functionality planned for the NHS App, designed to provide patients with more choice and control over their own care.
An AI tool called “My Companion” is planned, to offer patients access to trusted health information, as well as helping them articulate their health needs and preferences, providing information about their health conditions or upcoming procedures. The DHSC notes this will support patients to ask questions, “including any they may have forgotten about or felt too embarrassed to raise at an in-person appointment”.
A “My Choices” feature is planned, to help signpost patients to services and providers, offering a range of data on providers across the country, including estimated wait times, patient outcomes, and satisfaction scores. Those wishing to use services closest to them will also be offered details for their local provider by default.
Last month, NHS England published its latest roadmap for the future of the NHS App, highlighting aims to increase users’ ability to self-serve, support operational efficiency and costs, and to design the app to support health system performance indicators. The roadmap covers health records, appointments, prescriptions, integrated services, messaging, design and navigation, and platform and analytics, noting what has been completed to date, what has been worked on, and what is next for the NHS App.
Vin Diwakar, the NHS national director of transformation, commented on how the shift from analogue to digital set out in the 10 Year Plan will transform services offered through the NHS App, making it “the single most important tool patients use to get health information and control their care”. He added: “These exciting reforms will be invaluable in combating health disparities and providing world-leading access to those who have not previously been able to get care on their own terms – by providing transparent data about services or supporting carers to manage the care of loved ones.”
Wider trend: Digital transformation
The Prime Minister’s Office shared details of the Elective Reform Plan at the beginning of the year, “a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target” focusing on expanded use of CDCs and surgical hubs, along with the NHS App, remote monitoring, and technologies such as AI. It noted plans for using the NHS App to offer patients “greater choice and control” over their treatment by ensuring better access to information, details of appointments, results, and appointment booking facilities.
NHS England awarded two new contracts to support the “delivery of large-scale public facing digital services” in February, for NHS.UK and the wider portfolio including the NHS App and Login. Technology consultancy company, BJSS Limited was awarded a three-year contract valued at £37.5m to support the development of the NHS.uk portfolio. This includes working on the NHS App and Login. The second contract was awarded to IBM to continue their work on developing the NHS App, with the aim to “create a standard online way for people to access the NHS”.
The DHSC sought feedback on emerging ideas for change as part of the Change NHS initiative in April, including for plans around the NHS App. Following more than 175,000 change idea submissions, it shared that a theme to make greater use of the NHS App is being explored further, asking for views on the app as the main point of access for services and information, and any concerns around its use.
