How to embed NHS App promotion to reduce messaging expense

Promoting the App at point of registration has made the biggest difference to increasing uptake at our practice, while being low cost to introduce. Our welcome packs now include:

• a proxy access form when a new-born is registered at our practice. This also helps with, for example, our flu campaign as parents can see their children’s vaccinations
• an online access form when adult patients join the practice to register them for online services from the beginning, and to request any missing contact details

We include a message about the NHS App when we promote health initiatives, such as promoting online booking for appointments as part of our smear campaign. This has been really helpful as some find it less intimidating to book online and we’ve found uptake has increased massively.

In our vaccine campaign, we promote that patients can see their vaccines from birth, as we enable this when we register them for online access. COVID-19 had a big impact on patients wanting to see their vaccination record. This also gives them another reason to log in to the App, where they can also book their vaccinations.

The NHS App is promoted on signage and on our screens to capture patients' attention while they’re in the waiting areas. It has been one of our most effective methods. We use the NHS App toolkit which makes sharing images and videos as easy and simple as possible.

On our website we promote updates to the NHS App often and have added:

• an online services section to the website home screen, including the App and links to information on how to use it
• an online access form for patients to get proxy access for those they care for

We sent a one-off mass text message about the NHS App to patients; the main focus was to have notifications for messaging turned on as many had the App but didn’t receive notifications. This was effective and the cost savings greatly outweighed the cost of the text.

We have a WhatsApp comms channel for our patients where we share updates, including about the App, although this has a smaller reach as it’s a fairly new channel for us.

It’s important to get everyone involved. When we have daily huddles and quarterly team meetings, we include any updates about the App and how to promote it with patients. We’ve set up sessions for our reception team to learn about the App and feel confident enough to talk to patients about it. As the practice NHS App ambassador, staff can also refer patients in my direction where they are unsure.

Our staff raise awareness of the NHS App in everyday conversations with patients, leading to a big decrease in patients phoning the practice. When patients:

• ring up about prescriptions, the clerk will advise that they can order repeat prescriptions and view medications through the App
• call to see their blood test results, we explain how to do it on the App or the clinician will mention they can use the App to do this at the end of appointments
• want to know how to look for their health information such as allergies, we will explain how to navigate to this or refer them to a digital clinic

We connect patients who want more support to digital clinics run by the local community centre. It’s really effective for patients with less digital confidence; they have more time to go through the App one-to-one and feel they can ask any questions they want to. It can also be used an opportunity to set up proxy access, such as for couples.

This is one of our most successful routes; by helping patients in this way we are able to help others as they spread the word to friends, without it being extra work for the practice.

By using the NHS App, we can keep our patients as up to date as they can be on everything they need. Patients having notifications turned on for NHS App messaging has made a massive difference to our SMS costs and improved uptake and usage for the NHS App itself.

For example, the 3 appointment reminders we send to patients now go through the App; patients can also use the App to check appointment details and add appointments to their device’s calendar to keep them in the know and reduce missed appointments. They can cancel appointments at any time which makes it much easier, especially after the weekend or a bank holiday, as they don’t have to call to do this.

We save money on health campaigns, for example, most of our approximately 2,500 Flu campaign messages went through the App. Previously, this would have cost a lot of money and patients can then book their vaccination on the App, making it much easier for them.