New data from NHS England shows that patients in the West Midlands are using the NHS App and its Prescription Request feature to order more than 600,000 prescriptions per month, showing a 71% increase since the feature launched in January 2024.

The data comes as patients are reminded to plan ahead with their prescribed medication so they don’t run out over of the bank holiday or during the traditional holiday season when they’re away from home.

Using the NHSApp has a number of benefits for patients. It saves time spent contacting their GP practice or pharmacy saving up to an average of 18 minutes.

It also means the NHS is able to save clinical time that can be spent better elsewhere. Each repeat prescription ordered electronically saves GP practices three minutes of time, which it is estimated is the equivalent of 1.85 million hours in 2024.

An additional feature of the NHSApp currently being rolled out is the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) which enables patients to check if their medicines are “ready to collect” or “dispatched by pharmacy” if they are being delivered.

Around 1,650 high street chemists – including every Boots in England – are now offering the service, and data released today shows nearly 400,000 people across England have used a new prescription tracking feature in the NHS App in the first ten weeks since its launch, helping reduce unnecessary calls and visits to pharmacies. 

Dr Rajiv Kalia, Associate Medical Director for Primary Care and PCNs, NHS England (Midlands) said:

“It’s great to see that over a million patients per month in the Midlands are using the NHS App to request repeat prescriptions. 

“Patients’ use of the repeat prescription feature helps save their time and avoids calls to their GP practice. It also allows patients to request medication at their convenience with a few simple taps on their phone. 

“With the bank holiday coming, now’s the time to use the NHS App to request prescriptions well ahead of any holiday time off especially if you’re travelling abroad.”

In order for patients to receive updates on their prescriptions, it is important for NHS App users to turn on notifications. There is a step-by-step walk through video which explains how to do this as well as view messages in the NHS App.

The NHS App also includes the NHS111 function which helps those who think they need urgent care. This is especially useful if you’re away from home in other parts of England.  It will signpost to the nearest NHS service that can help.