A national funding opportunity with £15 million to £20 million allocated for referrals and appointments has opened.
The Referrals and Appointments funding, aims to “drive adoption, impact and value of the Booking and Referral Standard (BaRS), the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) and NHS App referral and appointment management (Wayfinder) in 2026/27”, NHS England noted.
In a post on LinkedIn, NHSE assistant director Mark Marshall announced that the 2026/27 National Funding Offers for referrals and appointments are now live, with up to £20 million available for NHS providers to “go further” with the NHS App and e-RS.
The funding could cover scaling of PIFU, notifications and messaging, transforming GIRFT pathways, or “stepping up as an Innovation Lead to drive change across a whole division, organisation or system”, the assistant director notes.
The deadline is given as 31 May 2026, with additional information including a briefing pack, proposal form, and FAQs available on the NHS Futures Referrals and Appointments workspace. Recordings from briefing webinars held in April for acute trusts, mental health and community health service providers, and patient portal suppliers are also provided for interested parties to watch back.
For any questions, please contact england.referralsandappointments@nhs.net. or click here to access the application form for funding.
With the publication of the 10 Year Health Plan, the government outlined the role of the NHS App in its health system of the future, highlighting AI-enabled features, links with wearable tech, and access to the Single Patient Record. Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive at NHS England, said: “The NHS App will be at the heart of the tech transformation we’re planning for the NHS to give people much more ownership of their healthcare – all from wherever they are at the tap of a screen.”
The NHS App will become a “doctor in their pockets” for patients as a tool for access, empowerment, and care planning, creating a “full front door to the entire NHS”. It will offer remote or face-to-face appointment booking and signposting to the most appropriate service with the AI-enabled My NHS GP, and allow patients to select preferred providers through My Choices. Functionality will also be available for patients to self-refer with My Specialist, and to connect with clinicians via remote consultations with My Consult.
Wider trend: The NHS App
NHS England has awarded a contract with a value of up to £160 million to IBM as a strategic delivery partner for the future of the NHS App. “Following the completion of a competitive procurement process and due governance, IBM has been formally appointed as a strategic delivery partner as we continue to develop secure, reliable and user-centred pathways and services at scale,” NHSE states. The contract is due to begin on 1 May 2026, ending on 31 March 2028.
Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has received funding from NHS England to lead on the roll-out of functionality allowing patients to manage their appointments and visits directly from the NHS App. The trust’s implementation will be shared with 11 NHS trusts using SystmOne across the country. Once live, information from the trust’s EPR will enable patients to view previous and upcoming appointments, receive appointment notifications and documents, and book, cancel, or amend their appointment details, in the NHS App. It also allows patients to fill in questionnaires to update their records, helping trusts to stay informed.
NHS England has shared the latest updates on its NHS App Roadmap, including recently completed pilots, current areas of focus, and plans for future development. The roadmap notes a list of NHS App integrated live partners and services, including providers such as Accurx and Anima Health for online consultations, Patients Know Best for personal health records, and DrDoctor and Health Call for secondary care.
