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Lancashire Times
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1:15 PM 20th June 2021
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NHS App Reaches Over 6 Million Users

 
Over 6 million NHS patients can now benefit from easy access to personalised medical services, as well as access to COVID-19 vaccination status for travel via the NHS App.

There have been over 2 million new NHS App users since the COVID-19 vaccination status service was added on 17 May, with almost 5 million distinct users logging into the app in the last month.

The positive impact of this increase in downloads is potentially life-saving as over 51,000 people have registered their organ donation preference via the app since 17 May. This is over 5 times more than in the month of April.

Organ donation saves and improves thousands of lives each year and registering a preference helps NHS specialist nurses to quickly understand what people want to happen and enables them to discuss this with their family.

In the last month, over 614,000 repeat prescriptions have been ordered and over 50,000 GP appointments have been booked via the app, saving patients and clinicians valuable time.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

"Technology undoubtedly plays a huge role in how we deliver healthcare now and in the future and it is great to see so many people downloading, using and benefitting from the NHS App.

"It is vital we embrace the momentum we have built in using technology and innovation in the health and care sector over the last year as we look beyond the pandemic to improve treatment, care and the experiences of patients."

The app is one of the first internationally compliant systems in the world to demonstrate vaccine status. The COVID-19 vaccine status service allows users to easily show their proof of vaccine, if required for international travel, and has been designed in line with World Health Organization (WHO) interim guidance.

As well as accessing COVID-19 vaccine status, the NHS App provides a wide range of personalised services, including:

GP appointment booking
ordering repeat prescriptions
viewing GP and hospital records
registering organ donation preference


Minister for Innovation Lord Bethell said:

"The NHS App is a fantastic tool that allows people to not only access their COVID-19 vaccine status, but also access NHS services more easily.

"It is great to see over 6 million users now registered on the app and it is a prime example of how technology can make the health service more efficient and easier to access. I encourage those who have not yet done so to download it and see the benefits for yourself."

Matthew Gould, Chief Executive of NHSX, said:

"The COVID-19 status service was stood up in weeks, by a team working flat out to deliver on time an important service for users.

"It has been good to see it used to open up sporting events, facilitate travel, and encourage the use of NHS services online."

Simon Bolton, Interim Chief Executive at NHS Digital, said:

"We’re delighted that the NHS App has proved so popular over the past month, and is helping people to quickly and easily provide proof of their vaccination status. We’re also seeing a big increase in the use of other features in the app, from registering organ donation preferences to booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions."

The COVID-19 vaccine status service in the NHS App and NHS website has been built with user privacy and security at its heart, to ensure personal information is safe and secure at all times.