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.
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”.
An end of year update revealed that the App has now reached more than 39 million users, with 62.3 million logins in November, and 67.8 million repeat prescriptions ordered through the app in the past 12 months. Zubir Ahmed, health innovation minister, shared these latest stats, reflecting: “From prescription trackers to family features, we’ve upgraded the app this year to make it more helpful, and we are striving to deliver more improvements in the New Year as we build towards the launch of the NHS virtual hospital. Our 10 Year Health Plan is already shifting care from analogue to digital and building an NHS that is fit for the future and fit for us all.”
NHSE has also shared the latest updates in the NHS App Roadmap including recently completed pilots, current areas of focus, and plans for future development. Recently completed projects around integrated services have included a trial of AI-enabled triage in a GP surgery, which NHS England is now looking to expand to a larger area, and the integration of a new service to check and book RSV vaccinations. A new vaccinations hub bringing together existing and new digital vaccination services is to be developed, and more online consultation services are to be introduced to increase the number of users who can access medical advice in this way.
Wider trend: Patient-facing tech
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.
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB has awarded a contract with a total value of £206,692 to getUBetter for a digital MSK self-management platform. The platform is intended to support patients across primary, secondary, and community care in the region with common MSK injuries and conditions. Patients may be directed to the app at any point in the MSK management pathway, for help to self-manage their recovery and general health. getUBetter is a Class 1 medical device and is DTAC certified, the ICB notes, with the platform having been locally configured to the ICB MSK pathway.
Augmented reality technology is being used at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to help patients and clinicians visualise women’s health conditions such as endometriosis and prepare for surgical excision. The technology offers a large-scale, close-up view of anatomically precise 3D models, aiding clinicians in explaining diagnoses or disease progression to patients, and improving understanding of complex women’s health conditions like deep infiltrating endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Clinicians are able to interact with the model from their computer, enlarging specific regions to show disease impact, and illustrating precisely where areas of endometriosis will be excised during surgery. Following a 2025 pilot funded by the trust’s charity, CW+, and the Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, the tech has now reportedly become part of standard practice.
