More than 22million now using NHS app

The coronavirus crisis propelled the NHS app to become the most downloaded free iPhone app in England last year.

Eighteen million people registered since the NHS Covid Pass was added on May 17 – bringing the total number of users to over 22million since the app was launched on December 31, 2018.

A total of 1.1million GP appointments were booked through the app since it was launched in December 2018 – 641,000 in the last six months – and 10.4million repeat prescriptions – 6.2million in the last six months.

More than 140million Covid Passes have been generated through the app and NHS website since the service was added this May – used for sharing vaccination records or test results when travelling abroad or attending certain events and venues.

Simon Bolton, interim chief executive at NHS Digital, said: “The NHS app has played a central role in the fight against Covid-19 helping to enable international travel and access to major events.

"It has also changed the way millions of adults in England access healthcare services in the three years since its launch, with people using the app to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions, access the NHS Covid Pass service and register organ donation decisions.”

Minister for innovation, Lord Kamall, said: “Technology has been a lifeline for so many during the pandemic and, crucially, it has helped us in our fight against Covid-19. Better technology has also helped improve our system of healthcare by allowing clinicians to remotely monitor the health of patients, people to order prescriptions online and access their Covid-19 vaccine records."