By Katy Hallam,Lauren Haughey
Copyright birminghammail
The NHS has rolled out a significant upgrade to its mobile phone app, designed to assist parents, carers, and family members in managing their loved ones’ healthcare needs. The feature is particularly beneficial for those who make medical decisions on behalf of others when given permission by a GP surgery. The enhancement, currently undergoing trials across 68 GP surgeries, allows patients to create additional profiles within their NHS App online with the same ease ‘as switching profiles on Netflix’. Read more NHS issue ‘see a GP’ warning for heart failure symptom that can be seen in your leg This functionality could enable parents to book medical appointments for their youngsters or order repeat medications for an elderly family member when they’re unable to manage this independently. Almost 12,000 individuals have already registered through the ongoing pilot schemes, with NHS England planning to roll out the service more widely from 2026. Dr Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, commented: “The family access feature in the NHS App makes it much easier for parents and carers to support the health of their loved ones – and it’s as simple as switching Netflix profiles. “It’s also hugely beneficial for GP practices, reducing the time staff spend on admin and freeing up resources, as well as improving efficiency and coordination of care. “This is a great example of how we’re transforming healthcare by harnessing digital technology as part of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, as well as tackling digital exclusion.”, reports the Mirror . The NHS App offers a swift and secure way to access numerous health services, including requesting repeat prescriptions, checking medical records, and arranging GP appointments. Latest statistics reveal that the NHS App boasts 38.5 million registered users, with approximately 56.5 million logins each month on average for healthcare management. Whilst parents or carers can handle their own health matters through the app, establishing access for a family member previously meant visiting a surgery and completing forms, which usually took a minimum of 30 minutes. Parents and carers registered at the same surgeries as their relatives can now seek family access via the NHS App by supplying specific information, including valid identification. This application undergoes several verification processes before authorisation, and personnel will confirm it’s appropriate for you to act on another individual’s behalf. Based on the level of access provided, you may subsequently be able to: Those wanting to oversee health services for others through the NHS App can still attend their GP surgery face-to-face if they choose, or if the digital service hasn’t launched in their locality yet. Will Palmer, Digital Community Connector at Frome Medical Practice in Somerset, also remarked: “Patients are so relieved that they can easily get set up to order repeat prescriptions or see test results for their loved ones in the NHS App. “For our practice, it reduces the admin burden and improves efficiency, care coordination and communication, as well as empowering carers – it’s a game-changer.”
