Three-fold difference in app use by ICS revealed

The share of patients routinely contacting their GP practice using the NHS App is only 6 per cent, and varies more than three-fold between systems, new figures suggest.

The annual GP patient survey found the proportion of patients who used the NHS App the last time they contacted their practice increased nationally by two percentage points on last year, but was still only 6%.

It has increased year-on-year in every integrated care system, by as much as five percentage points (see table below). But there is significant variation.

It comes as the government places the NHS App at the centre of its health reform strategy, aiming to make it a “single front door” to NHS services. It follows rapid take-up in recent years, accelerated by Covid-19. 

Nationally, more people used their practice’s own website than the App (14%). For many practices, there is more functionality for messaging on their website.

But phone was by far largest way people tried to make contact, on 62%. Fourteen per cent visited in person, and the remainder used a different website or app, or “another way”. 

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Source: HSJ, 11 July 2025