Greater than 2.7 million individuals have already used a brand new prescription characteristic within the NHS App since its launch two months in the past.
The handy new characteristic, which was launched in January, permits sufferers in England to see when their prescriptions have been issued and look at their prescribed remedy.
Because the launch, there have been 18.4 million views of prescriptions by individuals with a nominated pharmacy, that means their remedy particulars are despatched electronically to their chosen pharmacy.
One other 1.2 million views had been by individuals with no nominated pharmacy, with these customers now ready to make use of a barcode within the app to gather their prescription from any pharmacy as a substitute of needing a paper model.
New figures being launched as we speak additionally present that the NHS App now has greater than 34 million registered customers, with month-to-month logins rising by 79% within the final yr from 16.2 million in February 2023 to 29 million in February 2024.
Sufferers throughout England are being reminded of the advantages of utilizing the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions or entry NHS recommendation throughout the Easter financial institution vacation weekend.
The variety of repeat prescriptions ordered via the app grew by 44% from 2022 to 2023, with a mean of three.3 million now requested each month.
Saving time for GPs and sufferers
Every repeat prescription ordered electronically saves GP practices three minutes of time. Sufferers additionally save a mean of 18 minutes with every on-line order, making it extra handy for sufferers and liberating up frontline employees to do different vital duties.
Dr Vin Diwakar, nationwide transformation director at NHS England, stated: “The service is certainly one of many options on the app, which helps to scale back the executive burden for normal apply in addition to making it simpler for individuals to entry NHS companies.
“Three quarters of adults now have the NHS App of their pocket and I’d encourage you to faucet the app throughout the Easter financial institution vacation weekend and make use of the companies on provide – whether or not ordering a repeat prescription or checking the newest well being recommendation.”
In final month’s price range the Authorities introduced the NHS will obtain a further £3.4 billion to spend money on new tech and digital transformation, together with making the NHS app a digital entrance door for sufferers.
Well being and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins stated: “I wish to see entry to NHS companies made sooner, less complicated and fairer for sufferers, and so it’s nice to see tens of millions of individuals already utilizing the brand new characteristic within the NHS App to handle their prescriptions.
“We’re persevering with to rework the way in which sufferers can entry companies throughout the NHS, together with by investing within the newest know-how and embracing the advantages of AI.”
One other new characteristic lately added to the NHS App permits sufferers to see the common ready time for his or her hospital remedy on the NHS acute belief they’ve been referred to by their GP. Extra sufferers can even now handle their hospital appointments within the NHS App.
There have been six million appointments seen or managed within the app in February 2024 in comparison with 1.8 million in February 2023 – a rise of 233%, with two thirds of NHS acute trusts now providing the service.
Extra particulars on the way to register with the NHS App can be found at www.nhs.uk/nhs-app.