Easing frontline burden and enabling quick access to a range of healthcare services
National Health Service (NHS) England is a lifeline for millions, but they face mounting pressures, with growing waiting lists, strained resources, and patients who feel frustrated and underserved. Many struggle with a long wait for appointments or limited access to their health information, while frontline staff grapple with administrative burdens that detract from patient care.
In an era when convenience and accessibility are expected, NHS England, which supports NHS organizations and local integrated care systems in England on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, recognized the need to modernize. Patients want intuitive, reliable ways to engage with healthcare services—whether to book appointments, manage prescriptions or access test results. In 2022, NHS England partnered with IBM to reimagine their digital services, working together to improve patient experiences, reduce operational strain and unlock new value streams.
To address their challenges, NHS England collaborated with IBM to enhance the NHS App, hosted on Microsoft Azure. Their approach centered on creating a seamless, patient-centric experience while also alleviating pressure on frontline staff.
The partnership delivered enhanced features for patients, from medicine management, secure messaging and appointment booking to access to test results. These functionalities empower patients to take control of their healthcare, reducing reliance on traditional channels such as phone calls and in-person visits. For example, patients can now order repeat prescriptions with a few taps, saving time and improving adherence to treatment plans. Both teams also harnessed the capabilities of Adobe Target for A/B testing, enabling data-driven decisions and continuous improvement in the NHS App’s design and functionality.
To scale the NHS App’s impact, IBM’s product engineering and design team integrated over 15 new suppliers through a streamlined process, expanding national coverage of core services and adding new capabilities. A redesigned user interface and navigation made the NHS App more intuitive, ensuring patients could easily find and use the services they needed.
Bringing their expertise in product engineering to the forefront, IBM helped NHS England establish a product operating model that prioritized continuous improvement. Automated roadmaps, consolidated backlogs and a robust measurement framework allowed for performance tracking while aligning the evolution of the app with NHS England’s goals. This product-centric approach ensured that enhancements delivered measurable value, whether by improving patient satisfaction or reducing operational costs.
IBM’s unique capabilities in product engineering and design and healthcare innovation proved instrumental throughout the transformation. By combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of patient needs, IBM helped NHS England create a sustainable digital service that could adapt to the evolving demands on the healthcare service.
The transformation of the NHS App has delivered tangible benefits for patients, healthcare providers and frontline staff. Since January 2023, monthly active users (MAU) have increased by 83%, to 14 million, with engagement per MAU rising by 62%. This surge in usage was achieved alongside a 50% reduction in public cloud costs per user, saving NHS England GBP 55,000 per month since March 2024.
Patients are now more empowered to manage their health. Each month, 24 million messages are exchanged through the NHS App—an 118% year-on-year increase—reducing SMS costs by millions annually. Patients view their health records 20 million times monthly—an 86% year-on-year increase—fostering greater awareness and enabling self-care. Additionally, 5 million repeat prescriptions are ordered monthly—a 51% year-on-year increase—improving adherence to treatment plan and overall health outcomes.
These results demonstrate the NHS App’s capability to deliver convenience for patients while reducing the administrative burden on staff. By shifting routine tasks to digital channels, NHS England can focus their resources on delivering high-quality care where it’s needed most.
Building on the success of the NHS App, the next phase of transformation will harness the power of data and AI to deliver proactive and personalized healthcare services. The app will evolve from a digital front door to a digital companion, offering tailored insights and engagement based on individual health needs. To achieve this, NHS England has to centralize patient data and leverage AI to generate actionable insights. This shift will enable predictive care, helping patients stay healthier and further reduce the burden on healthcare services. By moving from cure to prevention, from hospital to community and from analog to digital, NHS England is poised to revolutionize patient experiences and outcomes, bringing their vision of modern healthcare closer to reality.
NHS England is one of the leading bodies for timely and cost-effective care. Their functions include funding allocation, service oversight, innovation promotion, workforce development, data utilization for research and service enhancement, procurement negotiation and provision of digital services. Their workforce is diverse, embodying values such as collaboration and continuous learning.
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