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Wes Streeting has promised to pull the NHS “into the digital age” with plans to give more patients needing planned care the ability to decide where they are treated.
Under plans aimed at slashing waiting lists, the NHS App will be overhauled, giving patients more choice under the elective reform plan, which is set to be announced this week.
Health secretary Mr Streeting said the move will help Labour cut waiting times “from 18 months to 18 weeks“.
Action will also be taken to tackle missed appointments, which is a significant drain on NHS finances.
Experts welcomed the move, but warned that digital innovations must not “create new barriers” and “come at the expense of excluding those without a smartphone”.
But the British Medical Association (BMA) warned the changes were pegged around “artificial and clinically irrelevant targets” and may not deliver the benefits Mr Streeting has promised.
Responding to the announcement, BMA chair professor Phil Banfield said: “The government’s plan for improvements in elective care, to be driven by arbitrary targets and upgrades to an app, misses the crucial point; we need to treat the patients most in need first.”
He added: “With 7.5 million people waiting for care, the app may help some patients navigate disjointed and complex pathways of care, but an upgrade to the NHS app on its own won’t make serious inroads into waiting lists without significant improvements to other parts of our healthcare system.”
At the moment, the NHS App can be used for the likes of booking and managing appointments, viewing health records and ordering repeat prescriptions.
The upgraded platform will allow patients who need non-emergency elective treatment to choose from a range of providers, including those in the independent sector.
Users will also be able to view and manage appointments, book tests and checks at convenient locations such as community diagnostic centres, receive test results, and book any necessary follow up appointments, such as a remote consultations or surgery.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), fewer than a quarter of patients are offered a choice of hospital to have treatment.
Mr Streeting said: “If the wealthy can choose where and when they are treated, then working class patients should be able to as well, and this government will give them that choice.
“Our plan will reform the NHS, so patients are fully informed every step of the way through their care, they are given proper choice to go to a different provider for a shorter wait, and put in control of their own healthcare.”
The first step of the plan will come into force in March, when patients at more than 85 per cent of acute trusts will be able to view their appointments on the NHS App.
They will also be able to contact their healthcare provider and receive regular updates, including how long they are likely to wait.
The elective reform plan will also establish minimum standards for patients to give them more power over decision-making.
This includes giving people a choice on how their care is followed up, be it in person or online, as well as giving patients a shortlist of providers to choose from and making it easier for them to contact providers for follow-ups.
Officials claim there were eight million missed appointments in 2023-24, with measures also being put in place to tackle the issue.
Improving two-way communication between patients and clinicians, as well as using artificial intelligence (AI), could save an additional one million missed appointments, the DHSC estimates.
Work is underway to pilot AI services that pinpoint patients who are likely to miss an appointment so that extra support, such as free transport, can be offered.
Mr Streeting added: “This government’s reform agenda will take the NHS from a one size fits all, top down, like it or lump it service, to a modern service that puts patients in the driving seat and treats them on time – delivering on our plan for change to drive a decade of national renewal.
“By bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age, we will cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks and give working class patients the same choice, control, and convenience as the wealthy receive.”
Last month, it emerged that the waiting list for routine hospital treatment had fallen to its lowest level for seven months.
Figures published by NHS England in December showed an estimated 7.54 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of October, down from 7.57 million at the end of September and the lowest figure since March 2024.
The number of patients waiting for treatments was unchanged month-on-month, at 6.34 million.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “NHS staff are providing record levels of elective care but with too many patients waiting, we know we need to reform further and faster so we can take our progress on the backlog to the next level.
“That is why as part of the elective reform plan we will fully harness the potential of the NHS app, giving patients more information, choice and control over their care while freeing up the time of our staff so they can work more productively too.
“Using technology to revolutionise access to NHS care, alongside offering more availability of tests, check and scans closer to people’s homes, will help us tackle waiting times and put patients in the driving seat of elective care.”
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, welcomed the announcement but warned it is “crucial” that digital innovations do not “create new barriers”.
“The commitment to putting patients in control of their own care through enhanced digital access is a positive development that could transform how people manage their healthcare journey,” she said.
“However, it’s crucial that these digital innovations don’t create new barriers for patients who may struggle with technology or can’t access digital routes, potentially widening existing health inequalities.
“While modernising services is important, we must ensure that traditional communication channels remain available and well-resourced, particularly in areas where digital exclusion is highest.”
She added that the use of AI to predict and prevent missed appointments combined with other support measures “shows a welcome recognition that improving access requires both technological and practical solutions”.
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, said more patient choice is a “good thing” but app improvements “must not come at the expense of excluding those without a smartphone”.
“Many people report issues booking, amending, following up and cancelling appointments and we consistently hear stories of letters lost in the post and clunky telephone systems which make choosing time slots that work around people’s lives difficult,” she said.
“We welcome the acknowledgement that there is clearly scope for the NHS app to improve how patients experience their care and the focus on improving the app must not come at the expense of excluding those without a smartphone.
“More patient choice is a good thing, but it can only be one part of the forthcoming recovery plan to tackle the extensive waiting list challenges we face.”
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