There is a decent chance you downloaded the NHS App during the pandemic, used it to get your vaccine certificate, and then promptly forgot it existed. You are not alone. According to NHS England, the app has over 34 million registered users, yet the vast majority of people are using it for one or two things at most, usually booking a GP appointment or ordering a repeat prescription. The rest of what it can do sits there, quietly, waiting to be discovered. I had a proper look through it recently and was genuinely surprised at how much useful functionality is just sitting there unused.
What the NHS App actually does in 2026
The NHS App is free, available on iOS and Android, and accessible via browser at nhs.uk/nhs-app. It links directly to your GP surgery and, increasingly, to NHS services beyond your practice. Here is a proper rundown of what it can do once you have verified your identity and logged in.
View your GP health record. This is the one that genuinely surprises people. You can read your coded record, which includes diagnoses, medications, allergies, immunisations, and test results. Some practices also allow access to your full consultation notes, meaning you can go back and read exactly what a GP recorded during an appointment. If you have ever left a surgery wondering what was written down, this is how you find out.
Order repeat prescriptions. Most people know this one, but fewer realise you can nominate a specific pharmacy to collect from, track whether your prescription has been prepared, and see exactly what is on your repeat list. If your medication has been removed from your repeat without you being told, the app will show you.
Manage referrals. Through the NHS e-Referral Service, which is built into the app, you can view referrals your GP has made, choose a hospital or clinic, and book your outpatient appointment. No waiting for a letter. No phoning a number that rings out. My own experience with this was a revelation: I had a referral sitting there for three weeks that I had no idea about, because the letter had gone to an old address. I could have booked it in the app the same day my GP sent it.
The health admin features that genuinely save time
Proxy access. If you care for an elderly parent, a child, or someone who struggles with technology, you can apply to manage their NHS App account on their behalf. This is called proxy access. It requires sign-off from the GP surgery but once it is set up, you can handle prescriptions, view records and book appointments for the person you care for. Given that millions of people in the UK provide informal care on top of their own lives, this feature could save an enormous amount of time and reduce a lot of anxiety.
NHS 111 online. Rather than phoning 111 and sitting on hold, the app gives you a direct route into the 111 online symptom checker, which can triage your situation and direct you to the right service, whether that is your GP, an urgent treatment centre, a pharmacy, or A&E. It is not a replacement for emergency services, but for the grey zone of health worries at 10pm on a Sunday, it is genuinely useful.
Your Summary Care Record. This is a condensed version of your health information that any NHS clinician across England can access when treating you, with your permission. It includes current medications, allergies, and any adverse reactions. If you are admitted to hospital in an area where your GP practice is not, the treating team can pull this up instantly. You can view it yourself through the app, and crucially, you can see who has accessed it.
There is also a growing library of approved health apps linked from within the NHS App itself. These cover mental health, physiotherapy exercises, long-term condition management, and more. Some are available on prescription, meaning your GP can refer you to them at no cost to you. Worth a look if you are managing something like anxiety or a musculoskeletal issue.
Getting your identity verified properly
The most common reason people cannot access their records or prescription management is that they have not completed identity verification. The app uses a system called NHS Login, and there are different levels of verification. Basic login gives you limited access. Full access, which lets you see your GP record and manage referrals, requires a higher verification level. You can do this via photo ID and a face scan, or your GP surgery can link your NHS login to their system directly. If you are stuck at a basic access level and cannot work out why, ring your surgery and ask them to check whether your NHS login is linked to your NHS number on their system. It is a five-minute fix that unlocks everything.
If you are interested in the broader picture of managing your health outside the GP surgery, including complementary approaches and wellness clinics, HealthPod Mansfield is one example of a private health facility offering services that sit alongside conventional NHS care.
Why this matters more than you might think
There is something quietly important about understanding what your health record actually says. GPs are brilliant but they are under enormous pressure. Errors creep into records. Allergies get missed. A medication you stopped taking years ago might still be listed as current. When you can see your own record, you become a more active participant in your own care, and that is genuinely good for outcomes.
The same principle applies to the energy bill comparison I made when writing about understanding your energy bill and challenging unfair charges. In both cases, the information belongs to you, and accessing it is simply a matter of knowing where to look. The NHS App puts your health information in your hands in a way that was unimaginable even ten years ago. It would be a shame to leave it sitting on your phone, used only for booking jabs.
If you find yourself taking a more active interest in your overall wellbeing, whether that is through the app, getting outside more, or joining a running club for the mental health benefits, the common thread is the same: small steps, consistent effort, and knowing what tools you actually have available. The NHS App is one of those tools. It is free, it is yours, and it is worth ten minutes of your time to explore it properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the NHS App available to everyone in England?
The NHS App is available to anyone aged 13 or over who is registered with a GP practice in England. It is free to download on iOS and Android, and can also be accessed via a web browser. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own separate NHS apps with different functionality.
How do I view my GP records on the NHS App?
Once you have set up an NHS login and completed identity verification, you can access your GP health record through the app under the ‘Health Record’ section. You will need full verification, not just a basic login, to see your coded record. If this is not working, ask your GP surgery to link your NHS login to your NHS number.
Can I book hospital appointments through the NHS App?
Yes, through the NHS e-Referral Service within the app, you can view any referrals your GP has made and book your own outpatient appointment at a hospital or clinic of your choice. This removes the need to wait for a letter or phone a hospital booking line.