Patient Newsletter – Promoting the NHS App to help us Stay Connected 🌻Spring 2026 🌻

Eastham Group Practice

Newsletter March 2026

What can the NHS app do?

You can use the NHS App to:

1. Order repeat prescriptions: view your available medicines, request a new repeat prescription and choose a pharmacy for your prescriptions to be sent to
2. Book (and cancel) GP appointments
3. Get health advice: search trusted NHS information and advice on hundreds of conditions and treatments. You can also ask questions to get instant advice or medical help near you
4. View your health record: securely access your GP health record, to see your allergies and your current and past medicines. If your GP has given you access to your detailed medical record, you can also see information like test results and details of your consultations
5. Register your organ donation decision: choose to donate some or all of your organs
6. View your NHS number

How it works

The NHS App works by securely linking a patient to their GP record using NHS login. After verifying their identity, the app connects directly to the GP surgery’s clinical system. Any requests such as prescriptions or appointments, are sent straight into the practice system, and updates from the surgery appear in the app automatically. The app does not store full records on the phone; it acts as a secure, live connection to NHS system

 How to get started 

1. Download the app on iOS from the App Store or on Android from Google Play.
2. Open the app and sign in with your NHS login
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to verify your identity and link your NHS record.
4. Once set up, explore appointments, prescriptions, messages and more

Impact on NHS Services 

• The NHS App isn’t just a personal tool, officials say it’s transforming the NHS:
• Hospitals offering appointment information via the app increased from 68% to 87% within months.
• The NHS estimates the app has saved millions of staff hours and avoided many missed appointments, freeing capacity in clinics.
• Millions of prescriptions and appointments are now managed digitally instead of by phone or paper
• At Eastham Group Practice there are on average over 2000 prescriptions monthly being booked.

Notifications 

At Eastham Group Practice, instead of using traditional SMS text messaging we are making the switch to messaging through the NHS app. This will be enforced from the 1^st April 2026 with most messaging being securely delivered through the app.

This ensures any health information is shared through a trusted, encrypted through rather than standard text messaging.

Why are we making this change

• Enhanced security & privacy – messages sent by the app will only be accessed once in safely logging and will stay in a secure NHS system.
• Reduced risk of confidentiality breaches – SMS messages can be seen by anyone who accesses your phone. NHS app messages require login adding another layer of protection.
• More Reliable messaging – If the message is not delivered or read the app will automatically send a fallback SMS to ensure you don’t miss out on any important information
• Better appointments manager – NHS campaigns highlight how enabling notifications

Helps prevent missed appointments.

Turn on push notifications

When we send you a new message enabling notifications will mean you are notified when their sent. Notifications are used to tell you when you have a new message in the app and settings can take up to 24 hours to apply.

To enable notifications:

1. Open the NHS app
2. Select the account icon in the top corner
3. Choose notifications
4. Follow the link to your device settings
5. Turn on allow notification
6. Once enabled you will receive push notifications when new secure messages arrive.

Key facts about notifications

• You will only receive notifications form the NHS app not the website
• If more than one person uses the NHS app on the same device, notifications can only be enabled for one NHS account
• If notifications are disabled, you may receive a fallback SMS to tell you a new NHS app message is waiting

If you still need support enabling notifications the NHS website has a full guide on ‘managing NHS app notifications. You can also speak to our reception team who are happy to help set it up