NHS app records 33.6 million registered users

On its fifth anniversary, the NHS App has recorded 33.6 million registered users, which is said to be double that of Netflix‘s subscriber base of about 16.7 million.

Over the past year, monthly traffic to the app grew by 54%, with a total of 25.8 million logins in November this year. In November 2022, monthly logins to the app were 16.8 million.

According to latest statistics, pensioners are the most active users, with almost 62% of the 3.6 million registered users aged more than 66 years having used the app in the last three months.

This includes over 256,400 users in their 80s and almost 17,100 aged 90 years and more.

The app facilitates various services, such as viewing GP health records, ordering repeat prescriptions, and nominating preferred pharmacies, allowing patients to access essential services from their homes.

Each electronically ordered prescription is said to save GP practices three minutes and patients 18 minutes, freeing up frontline staff for other crucial duties.

The app is said to have become a crucial gateway to NHS services over the past five years.

Key achievements include more than doubling of appointments viewed or managed through the app, to 4.1 million in November 2023 from 1.95 million a year ago, and a surge in patient record views to 10.7 million from 5.8 million over this period.

Besides, it has recorded an increase in repeat prescriptions to 3.2 million in November 2023 from 2.2 million a year ago.

In the past three months, addition of new features, including vaccine bookings, have contributed to a 6% rise in onboarding of users over 50s.

The NHS continues to encourage patients to utilise the app, especially ahead of the New Year’s Day bank holiday, while emphasising the use of NHS 111 online for health needs and 999 for emergencies during the holiday period.

NHS CEO Amanda Pritchard said: “Whether it’s for shopping, dating or banking, apps are transforming every aspect of people’s lives, and the NHS is no different.

“The NHS App started small five years ago but, with a significant amount of hard work behind the scenes, it is now helping millions of patients across the country – whether it’s booking an appointment, sorting a prescription, or checking your records.

“Just a few years ago, people had to go into a GP for a paper prescription but now via the NHS app it can be done at the touch of a button – which is a truly transformational change and so much more convenient for patients.

“The NHS is already world leading in population coverage of the app but I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t already downloaded the NHS App to give it a go and see how easy it is to manage their healthcare from the palm of their hand.” Hospital Management