NHS App messaging pilot

You may be aware that GP practices now often communicate with patients in several ways. In recent years, practices have increasingly used SMS text messaging to deliver important information as well request information from patients as it is quicker and cheaper than sending a letter. For example, we often send ‘batch messages’ to promote some of the screening programmes or send ad-hoc messages with health-related questionnaires to keep patient records up-to-date. As we increasingly utilise SMS text messaging as an efficiency tool, it has also led to an increase in text messaging costs for the NHS.

To reduce the cost burden on the NHS, starting from 6th January 2025, SMS text messages sent to patients from one of our providers (Accurx) will be delivered as a notification message into the NHS App for those patients that have the app installed on their smartphone. If the message is not read by the recipient within 60 minutes, it will default back to a normal SMS text message. This is part of a 12-week pilot programme as a collaboration between NHS commissioners, practices and text message providers to the NHS.

Patients that do not use the NHS App will be unaffected by this pilot programme. However, we would like to take this opportunity to ask all our patients to download and utilise the NHS App as it gives you more control over your care including ordering repeat medication, requesting a GP appointment as well as getting general self-care advice for common self-limiting symptoms. More information is available from the NHS App website: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app