The Health and Social Care Secretary has announced an increase in users on the NHS App, including those registering an organ donation decision.

Speaking at London Tech Week, Sajod Javid said that more than 16 million people have now downloaded the NHS App, with over 12 million new users since the NHS Covid Pass - the coronavirus vaccination status service - was added on 17 May.

The increase in app downloads could have a life-saving impact as 1.5 million people have now used the NHS app to manage their organ donation decision, with 265,000 of these registering their organ donation for the first time via the app. Over 150,000 of these new registrations have taken place in just four months since May 2021.

NHS App users are also benefiting from easier access to NHS services. During the past four months, almost 3.2 million repeat prescriptions were ordered and over 268,000 GP appointments booked via the app, saving valuable time for patients and clinicians.

Javid said: “The benefits of technology are enormous. Nowhere has tech transformation proved its worth more than in health and care. We all owe so much not just to our doctors, nurses and colleagues on the front line but also the coders, developers and innovators who helped our NHS stay so strong. We’ve seen what healthtech can do at a time when health systems around the world were under incredible strain. We must build on the progress that we’ve all seen and deliver this long-awaited digital revolution.”

Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, said: “This is tech saving lives. By making it easier for people to set their preferences for organ donation, we have thousands more people whose organs might now be used to save others. We will be developing the NHS app so people can use it to drive their own care, set their own preferences, and stay healthy.”