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Notifications and messaging in the NHS App

Patients can receive messages from their surgery in the NHS App, instead of SMS (text message) or letter. 

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The NHS App messaging service provides a secure inbox that allows patients to receive messages from health and care services such as their GP surgery via the NHS App, instead of SMS (text message) or letter.  

Patients will get a notification from the NHS App when they receive a message in their secure inbox, if they have notifications enabled on their device.  

We are continuing to roll out NHS App messaging to more services across the NHS. Find out what’s new and what’s coming soon on the NHS App roadmap  

Patients can find support with Messaging in the NHS App on the NHS website. 

How it works

To receive a notification when a new message has been sent, the patient will need to switch on NHS App notifications on their device. This can be done in the NHS App or in the device settings. Notifications preferences may take 24 hours to take effect. 

If a message is not successfully delivered to the NHS App, your messaging service provider will automatically send a message via another channel such as SMS. This is to ensure the patient receives the message. 

There are some messages currently not supported by NHS App messaging, such as time critical messages. The messaging service supplier will ensure these messages are not sent to the App.

Benefits to staff and patients

Saves money
Saves money

The NHS spends millions of pounds on SMS costs each year. We’re making NHS App messaging available to NHS commissioned services for free. 

Safer and more secure
Safer and more secure

Messaging via the NHS App is more secure than other channels like SMS. SMS can be vulnerable to interception and spoofing but sending your patients messages to their NHS App secure inbox is much more secure. For patients, this means they will always know who messages come from, rather than seeing a messages from unidentified mobile numbers. 

More reliable
More reliable

NHS App messaging means even if a patient changes their contact details, you will still be able to contact them. 

Better content
Better content

When sending messages via SMS, the length is limited. NHS App messages can be longer and richer in content, for example with branding, link texts and interactive elements. 

How it's different to other messaging features

There are currently multiple messaging services available in the NHS App, including: 

  • NHS App messaging (the new service described on this page) 

  • GP surgery messaging (referred to as IM1 PFS messaging where patients can contact the surgery) 

  • request care or ask your GP surgery a question (online consultation request) 

  • consultations, events and messaging (available through personal health record like Patient Knows Best) 

Getting started

Speak to your communications supplier or whoever manages this contract

Check if your current messaging service supplier offers NHS App Messaging.

If they do, ask them when they will be rolling this service out in your practice.

If they don’t, ask them to get in touch with the NHS England app onboarding team at [email protected]

Update your privacy policy

Consider updating your privacy policy to tell patients who their data is shared with and why. 

You can use this wording on your website:

We use the NHS Account Messaging Service provided by NHS England to send you messages relating to your health and care. You need to be an NHS App user to receive these messages. 

Further information about the service can be found at the privacy notice for the NHS App managed by NHS England.

Do's and don'ts

Do
  • only send messages to a patient where you have the legal basis to contact them with the specific purpose of your message
  • write in a simple and concise way. Use language and terms your patients will understand. Your messages will go out to people with different comprehension skills, digital skills, reading age and native languages. Use the NHS content style guide which has common terms research shows understand
  • use correct formatting including using full sentences, headings, hyperlinks, paragraphs and line breaks to make your message clear and accessible
  • make sure that any content linked from the message you send is available for as long as necessary. This is especially critical where the click-through directly relates to the individual’s care, such as archives of forms, documents, or test results
  • listen to feedback from patients who report inappropriate or unwanted messages
Don't
  • send too many messages or messages irrelevant to the recipient and their direct care. Research suggests that if a patient receives too many messages not directly relevant to their care, their engagement with the NHS App reduces significantly
  • include personal data in any URLs sent in the message. However, because messages are secured by NHS login, you can include personal data and special category data (such as about someone’s care) in the body of the message
  • send messages with unsupported features, such as text requesting a reply using SMS keyword responses. Your supplier can tell you what’s available to you

Help and support

If you're having technical issues using NHS App messaging, contact your messaging service supplier.

Further information

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Last edited: 21 March 2025 12:38 pm