NHS England has added a service for people to view their prescriptions to the NHS App, along with a function for those without a nominated pharmacy to use a barcode to collect their prescription from any pharmacy instead of needing a paper version.
It has also added a service to enable patients waiting for an elective hospital treatment to see the average waiting time for the procedure at their local trust.
The new features are being added as the NHS runs a campaign to encourage more people to use the app and help free up time on the frontline.
Patients can already use the NHS App to request repeat prescriptions digitally and the number of repeat prescriptions ordered through the app has grown by 45% over the past year, with an average of 3.1 million now requested every month.
Avoiding delays
Vin Diwakar, national director for transformation at NHS England, said: “Giving all patients in England direct access to prescription information through the app means they’ll know when their prescription is issued and avoid delays in collection.
“The new feature will also mean people who haven’t set a nominated pharmacy will be able to present the barcode in the app to a pharmacy of their choice without needing a paper version.
“The prescription service is the latest in a number of services we’re adding to the NHS App to provide better care for patients. I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t used the NHS App for a while, or who has never downloaded it, to tap the app and see what it has to offer.”
NHS England said the app has gained 33.6 million registered users – equivalent to around three quarters of the adult population – since its launch five years ago.
