NHS App update – April 2020
News
Integration of eConsult within the NHS App – National Go live
NHS Digital are pleased to announce that rollout of the integration of eConsult within the NHS App. Rollout to all eConsult GP practices nationally will take place as per the dates below, and will be communicated from NHS Digital directly:
- Tuesday 28th April 2020 (AM) – Go-live of all remaining GP practices Nationally in England.
- Wednesday 29th April 2020 – Communication to CCGs that all GP practices are live with eConsult is now integrated within the NHS App.
- Wednesday 29th April 2020 onwards – Communication to patients by GP practices live with eConsult regarding the use of the NHS App for submitting e-consultations to their practices
Please note: there is nothing that the practice has to do for the integration to take place.
See below an overview slide of the functionality within the NHS App and how it will be accessed from a patient point of view .
NHS Digital has recently announced new messaging functionality within the NHS App
Messaging allows patients to securely send and receive messages with their GP surgery via the NHS App. This messaging functionality is for non-urgent queries that do not require an immediate response.
The messaging system is not an online consultation solution, for initial patient contact with the practice it is still recommended that patients use eConsult which is now also integrated with the NHS App (see above).
If patients need advice urgently, they should phone the GP surgery, visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
*Information taken from NHS Digital – Updated 9th April
Currently, patients can only use messaging if:
- They are a patient at a GP surgery that uses the Patient Access (EMIS) system.
- The GP surgery has messaging turned on
Messaging for TPP/SystmOne is in testing and will be available in the coming weeks
NHS App Guidance for Practices
Guidance on secure messaging for EMIS Practices:
- How to activate online services, including secure messaging for patients
- How to manage secure messages
Further information and resources for practices regarding the NHS App can be found here:
https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-app/prepare-your-practice-for-connection-to-the-nhs-app#
How messaging works for patients
Patients can only send messages to the GP surgery for queries about themselves. A patient cannot send messages on behalf of someone else, for instance; dependants
To access messages, Patients should:
- Log in to the NHS App.
- Go to more.
- Select ‘your messages’.
- Messages will be shown in a list, in order of most recent.
