According to research by NHS Digital, more than 16 million repeat prescriptions were ordered on the NHS App in the last year.

The NHS App now has more than 28 million registrations, with 22 million of those coming in the last year. The increase can in part be linked to the introduction of the Covid Pass in May 2021.

During the pandemic, use of the app has increased significantly and the NHS Digital research shows that over the last year, 1.3 million GP appointments were booked, GP records were viewed more than 90 million times and 277,000 organ donation decisions were registered on the app.

The Department of Health and Social Care published a new plan for digital health and social care on 29 June, which includes a target of 75% of the adult population being registered to use the NHS App by March 2024.

Simon Bolton, Interim Chief Executive at NHS Digital, said: “The NHS App is a great example of how technology is being used to help patients take control of their healthcare in a convenient, secure and timely way. Millions of adults are now using the app every month to order repeat prescriptions, book GP appointments and view their GP records. It's great to see use of the app continuing to increase, helping millions of people access healthcare services across England directly from their phone."

Dr Timothy Ferris, NHS Director of Transformation, said: “The NHS App is already in the pockets of millions of people, providing easy access to crucial everyday NHS services like repeat prescriptions. Our vision is to transform the NHS App into a front door for the NHS, with many exciting new features and changes planned over the coming months and years from better access to your GP record, to booking your Covid vaccine appointments.”