The NHS app will become the default method of communication for millions more patients in England, as part of a digital transformation plan set to save the health service £200 million over the next three years, the UK government has announced.
Digital-First Strategy to Replace Millions of Letters
Under a £50 million investment, more test results, screening invitations, and appointment reminders will be delivered directly to patients’ smartphones, replacing traditional methods such as posted letters.
Currently, the NHS sends an estimated 50 million letters annually.
The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that patients without access to the NHS app—particularly elderly or digitally excluded individuals—will continue to receive SMS messages first, with letters as a last resort.
NHS phone lines are also expected to see reduced pressure as messaging moves online.
NHS App Use and Notifications Set to Surge
This year, the NHS app is projected to send 270 million messages, a 70 million increase from the previous financial year.
Push notifications will remind patients of upcoming appointments, helping reduce the eight million missed elective care appointments recorded in 2023/24.
The app is now used in 87% of hospitals across England, with more than 11 million monthly active users and nearly 20 million people opted in to receive healthcare messages.
Enhancing Patient Access and Experience
Officials say the upgrade will empower patients to better manage their healthcare journey and make informed decisions about treatment, while also cutting costs for the NHS.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the move a leap into the digital era:
“We’re bringing the NHS into the 21st century – being a patient should be as convenient as online banking or ordering a takeaway.”
Streeting added that reducing paper-based communication could free up funding for frontline services.
Reactions: Praise and Caution
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patient’s Association, described the upgrade as a “significant step in modernising how patients receive information.”
However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has previously warned that an overreliance on digital apps could risk excluding patients without access to smartphones or internet services.
Part of Wider NHS Digital Rollout
The update follows January’s announcement that more NHS treatments and appointments in England would be bookable through the app.
In May, NHS England confirmed that millions of patients would soon receive “Amazon-style” tracking updates on prescriptions, allowing them to see whether medication is ready to collect or out for delivery.