25th April
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) is encouraging patients and residents across the region to download the free NHS App – a simple, secure and useful tool that everyone should have on their phone.
Whether you’ve got an upcoming appointment or not, the NHS App is an easy way to stay on top of your health. It allows users to manage appointments, receive reminders, check test results, manage prescriptions, and much more – all in one place and at no cost.
Crucially, the NHS App is helping reduce missed appointments – a major challenge for the NHS.
Once a patient is connected through the app, they receive appointment reminders and updates directly to their phone. Push notifications make these messages immediate and easy to act on, reducing the risk of people forgetting or overlooking their scheduled care.
Patients can check appointment times, clinic details, and test results at any time, helping them plan ahead or reschedule if needed.
With over 750,000 patient interactions each year, DBTH sends out thousands of appointment letters and text messages. Each letter costs the Trust around £1, and each SMS around 7.5p – a cost that adds up quickly. The NHS App delivers the same messages instantly and securely, without any charge to the Trust.
Dr Nick Mallaband, Acting Medical Director at DBTH, said: “The NHS App is something we would encourage everyone to download and keep on their phone. Even if you don’t have an appointment coming up, it gives you access to test results, prescriptions and your health records whenever you need them.
“It’s also a key part of delivering better care. When patients receive timely reminders and updates, fewer appointments are missed, and services can run more efficiently. That means we can see more people, more quickly – improving access to care across the board.
“The app also helps us reduce costs and cut down on unnecessary printing and postage, allowing us to reinvest those resources directly into patient services. And while we’re encouraging digital uptake, I want to reassure everyone that traditional methods – such as letters and texts – will absolutely remain in place for those who need them. This is about offering more choice, not taking options away.”
The NHS App is free and available to anyone aged 13 or over who is registered with a GP in England. It can be downloaded via the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android), and takes just minutes to set up.
To find out more or to get started, visit: www.dbth.nhs.uk/nhsapp
ENDS