Primary Care: Digital Technology
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of digital-first systems, including SMS-based appointment booking and online triage platforms, on patient access to NHS primary care services; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that such systems remain accessible and user-friendly for all patients, particularly older people, those with limited digital literacy, and individuals without reliable internet access, including in rural areas; and what guidance his Department has issued to GP practices on maintaining adequate non-digital, human lead routes of access to prevent delays in appointments and avoid patients disengaging from seeking care.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The NHS App provides a core national channel for patients to view, receive, and manage appointments across a range of care settings whilst ‘NHS Notify’ enables National Health Service organisations to send letters, text messages, and emails from a single platform. Analysis by NHS England’s Behavioural Science Unit shows that tailored messaging significantly increases response rates.
The NHS App is co-designed and tested with underserved groups, including blind and visually impaired users and those with low digital confidence. Equality and Health Impact Assessments underpin this work and are being refreshed to strengthen the focus on digital exclusion and underserved groups, with completion expected by March 2027.
The Department is committed to ensuring digitally excluded groups are not disadvantaged. Expanded digital access, such as the NHS App, online consultations, digital triage, and remote monitoring, is improving convenience and reducing travel, particularly in rural areas.
Virtual outpatient appointments and patient‑initiated follow‑ups have also reduced unnecessary hospital visits. The NHS App Ambassadors programme provides practical support in community settings.
Non-digital alternatives remain in place, including telephone, letter, and face‑to‑face channels. For example, NHS App notifications fall back to SMS, email, or letters where needed, and the Electronic Referral Service offers a telephone booking line. The Department is focused on improving the quality and usability of these non-digital pathways alongside digital services.
As part of its 10-Year Plan, integrated care boards and providers are required to mitigate digital exclusion while maintaining robust non-digital options.
In primary care, where tools and services for patients are provided by third parties, suppliers must comply with a new Accessibility Standard, aligned with the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 and the Equality Act 2010. This includes meeting Level AA of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or higher and other relevant requirements to ensure services are accessible to users with a wide range of needs.
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