Hospital patients across every acute NHS trust in England can now check their referrals and appointments through the NHS App, making it easier for people to manage their care in one place.
The move marks a major milestone in the NHS’s digital transformation, with the app now fully connected to all adult acute providers and supporting improved access, efficiency and patient experience.
Around two‑thirds of all hospital appointments (64%) are already visible in the NHS App, and many patients can now reschedule or cancel appointments directly, helping to reduce costly missed appointments.
Last month alone, patients viewed their referrals and appointments 8.7 million times, a 93% increase compared to a year ago, showing rapid uptake as awareness grows.
The NHS App is now used by 41 million people, providing access to services including test results, prescriptions, patient records, secure messaging and appointment information from anywhere.
At around half of NHS trusts, patients can now receive appointment reminders via NHS App push notifications, helping prevent missed appointments and wasted clinical time.
Patients are also increasingly able to access key documents such as discharge summaries inside the app, reducing the need for paper letters and follow‑up phone calls.
Hospitals say this digital approach is saving time and money by cutting reliance on printed correspondence and SMS messages, while freeing up staff capacity and supporting efforts to reduce waiting lists.
Use of the NHS App continues to rise sharply:
- More than 15 million users logged in during March, up almost a third over the past year
- Prescription orders placed through the app increased by more than a third, saving time for patients and pharmacy teams
All acute NHS trusts commissioned to provide adult services are now connected to the NHS App, allowing patients nationwide to view their hospital referrals and appointments digitally.
This connection ensures consistent access regardless of where someone is being treated, helping create a more joined‑up NHS experience across England.
Further enhancements are planned for the NHS App over the next year, including the ability to request follow‑up appointments and improved access to specialist care through the NHS’s new online hospital.
The app has also recently been redesigned to make it simpler and more intuitive, with faster access from the homepage to core services such as prescriptions, appointments and test results.
The expansion of app functionality underpins the launch of NHS Online, which will see its first patients next year.
NHS Online will:
- Provide digital triage via the NHS App
- Offer video consultations with doctors
- Connect patients with specialist clinicians across England, regardless of location
The service is expected to speed up access to specialist care while modernising how healthcare is delivered.
The NHS’ Director General of Technology, Digital and Data, Jules Hunt, said:
“Millions of patients across England can now easily access information about their hospital referrals and appointments through the NHS App, giving them more control and choice about their care and cutting out unnecessary paperwork.
“This is a great example of how we’re transforming patients’ experience of healthcare and harnessing digital technology as part of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.
“The technology is helping to reduce missed appointments and freeing up vital NHS staff time so they can tackle waiting lists more effectively – and I’d encourage all NHS App users to make the most of its features.”
By giving patients greater control over appointments and information, the NHS aims to reduce disengagement, prevent unnecessary delays and make managing care easier for millions of people.
Image credit: iStock
