New figures released by NHS England show that across the North West more than 250,000 repeat prescriptions are ordered through the NHS App every month, a number that has steadily risen since January 2022.

Since the NHS App’s launch in December 2018, more than 42 million repeat prescriptions have been ordered through the app across the country.

Patients across the region are being reminded of the benefits of using the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions ahead of the upcoming bank holiday at the end of May.

North West Regional Chief Pharmacist & Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer Karen O’Brien MBE said: “With another long weekend coming up at the end of May, we are reminding people of the excellent benefits of the NHS App.

“Patients can order repeat prescriptions through the app at a time and date convenient to them and access community pharmacy information about local healthcare advice and services available during the bank holidays.

“The NHS has always innovated and adapted to meet the needs of each generation and as we approach the NHS 75th birthday, the NHS App is yet another fantastic example of how we are doing this.

“The app offers a digital front door for interacting with the NHS with a host of new features launched in the last year– empowering patients to access services from the comfort of their homes.

“As ever, if you need care during the bank holiday weekend, come forward – using 999 in life threatening emergencies and NHS 111 online for other health concerns.”

Some of the features available on the NHS App enable patients to link their NHS details so they may be able to view their GP health record, nominate their preferred pharmacy, find local NHS services and get health advice via 111 online.

New and innovative features continue to be rolled out to help patients access convenient and high-quality care when and where they need it. Some GP practices are now sending NHS App notifications to patients with appointment reminders and other messages relating to their care.

“A host of new innovative features have also been rolled out – from viewing GP records to finding local health services – offering a digital front door to the NHS,” added Karen.

The region’s Medical Director for Primary Care, Dr Paula Cowan, said: “Using the NHS App can save you time, help you manage your health needs, and enable you to manage your personal health at a time that suits you.

“These days when a large number of us are used to using apps for every-day life – from ordering our shopping to checking news updates, the NHS App offers a convenient option – and new features are in development, including making it possible to manage hospital appointments.

“However, we do recognise that not everyone is digitally aware or tech-savvy and so the more people use the NHS App, the more this frees up time of staff to help those who aren’t as tech-savvy.”

You can download the NHS App on the app store or on google play.