Become an NHS App ambassador

The NHS App provides a simple and secure way for people to access a range of NHS services on their smartphone or tablet. 

The NHS App enables you to: order repeat prescriptions, securely view your GP health record, get health advice via 111 online, find NHS services near you, register to take part in health research, book your first hospital or clinic appointment and much more.

It is available to all patients aged 13 and over who are registered with an NHS GP practice in England and the Isle of Man.

NHS App ambassadors champion the app among both colleagues and patients, promoting its many benefits and helping users to understand how to use the app’s features.

Ambassadors work across the NHS and are passionate about how digital technology can improve patient care. They come from various backgrounds and work across different settings, including clinical, admin, trusts and general practice.

As an NHS App ambassador, you are a vital advocate for the NHS App. You spread the word about the app’s features through your own networks, including family, friends, colleagues and patients. 

You will proactively carry out a wide range of activities promoting the app, including email, social media, face to face sessions, networking, local media and whatever other means you find useful. You will be provided with a range of promotional materials to help you to advocate for the app, such as posters, written copy and images to use on social media. 

You will receive our regular ambassador’s newsletter, with the latest news and information on the app’s features, as well as tips from other ambassadors promoting the app to give you inspiration. 

The ambassador role is flexible and there is no minimum time required each month. The role can fit around your work and you can tailor your activities to suit your own organisations.

There are many benefits to becoming an NHS App ambassador, including:

• access to the latest app information and campaign materials to share with your colleagues and patients
• recognition as an official NHS App ambassador 
• joining a community of other ambassadors sharing best practice and success stories
• the opportunity to develop your leadership and persuasion skills
• a flexible role that fits around your work
• the opportunity to share your feedback with the national app communications team

We are actively looking for ambassadors to get involved with the NHS App, you only need an NHS email to join. If you would like to become an NHS App ambassador, or if you have any questions, please get in touch: [email protected].

If you do not work within the NHS, and don’t have an NHS email address, but work for a council, library, PPG, charity, university or just have a general interest in the NHS App, you can keep up to date with all things NHS App, by signing up to our external update.

We asked Cath McLennan, Senior Informatics and Tech Administrator at Bay Medical Group, about her experience as an NHS App ambassador.

Why is the NHS App important to you?  

I believe the NHS App has huge benefits for our practice and for citizens. For me, it’s a one stop shop that does everything it says on the tin; patients can contact us for admin or appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and they can check results or consultations if they have full record access. We even connect with local hospitals meaning that patients can view their hospital appointments.

How do you promote the NHS App in your area?

We try to include the NHS App whenever we contact patients.

We:

• post about the NHS App on our social media pages and website
• have guidance posters in our surgeries 
• play videos on our internal screens
• mention the NHS App in text reminders and questionnaires

We make every conversation with our patients a golden opportunity to let them know about the benefits of having the NHS App. 

I use the resources in the toolkit, but add our logo to give a personalised touch. We have even made our own banners for five of our practice reception areas. 

Why is it important to promote the NHS App to your colleagues?

Colleagues appreciating the NHS App is key. When colleagues use golden opportunities to discuss the app with patients, they become familiar it and are more likely to download it. This includes conversations about the NHS App with friends, relatives, and neighbours. Patients are happy to be recommended the app to interact with the surgery as an alternative to methods such as telephoning. 

I discuss the NHS App in team talks and send my colleagues how to guides so they’re confident and up to date with the app. This keeps it fresh in their minds.

How do you help anyone having issues with the NHS App? 

I host IT clinics every Friday for patients who need a little extra help setting the NHS App up, or to troubleshoot any issues. My colleagues can book patients into my clinic or patients can just turn up and wait. If patients can’t attend this clinic, I also offer telephone assistance. This adds to the personalised care we provide. 

How have patients responded?

Patients are responding really well. Our efforts are clearly working as of March 2023, 53% of our patients are now signed up to the NHS App, that’s 24,837 patients! 

What is your advice for other NHS App ambassadors?

Keep on talking about the NHS App, wherever you can, whenever you can! Don’t presume someone can’t download or use the services; if someone doesn’t have a smart phone, they can use other devices to access NHS.uk.

Grasp golden opportunities to tell patients about the NHS App. These conversations don’t work every time, but when they do, they can make a big difference to the practice and for the patient!