The search is on for nurses and other health professionals across England to become the face of the NHS App on social media and in their communities, helping people to take back control of their own health.
NHS England reports that England’s chief nursing officer, Ruth May, has launched the drive to find 10 passionate NHS ambassadors including nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and doctors to promote the use of the new app, which marks a step change in how people are able to engage with the NHS and access their medical records.
The free app (available on Google Play and Apple app stores) will be key to transforming people’s experience of services as well as the way they access care making it more convenient and available at the touch of a button.
First launched in January, it is now available to the vast majority of people across England, and particularly useful for people who use NHS services regularly, including those with long-term health conditions and pregnant women.
Ambassadors for the app will be drawn from a range of different backgrounds, locations and clinical roles, and will play a critical role in promoting the NHS App to family, friends, colleagues, patients and the public. They will encourage downloads of the app by using a range of different channels to talk about the benefits, including on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Chief nursing officer for England, and lead ambassador for the NHS App, Ruth May, said: “The best advert for our NHS is our extraordinary staff who continue to be the envy of the world, and with some of our leading lights soon to be promoting the next generation of health care tech across social media, the benefits of the NHS App will be experienced by even more people across England.
“The NHS App is transforming people’s experience of our health service, making it more convenient and available at the touch of a button, and as it continues to grow and improve, it will increasingly play a leading role in how we meet the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, to help people stay well and manage their long-term conditions, and give new mums and their babies the very best start in life.
“So it’s time now to get the word out, and that’s where frontline NHS staff come in – whether it’s acting as social media influencers or using good old-fashioned word of mouth, our search is on for nurses, doctors and other members of staff who are passionate about helping people make the most of this new and exciting advance.”
Those people who have downloaded the app are able to:
- Check their symptoms using NHS 111 online and access health advice from the NHS website
- Book and manage appointments at their general practice
- Order their repeat prescriptions
- Securely view their general practice medical record.
People can also use the app to register as an organ donor, and choose whether the NHS uses their anonymised data to support research into new treatments and better planning of services.
Tara Donnelly, chief digital officer at NHSX, said: “Just like you can book a flight or order food to your door, we want NHS services and advice to be available in the palm of your hand.
“The official NHS App has the potential to benefit millions of people and is an important step in driving forward digitalisation of the NHS.”
The chief nursing officer is looking to hear from a diverse range of NHS staff and backgrounds.
Staff can apply at: digital.nhs.uk/AppAmbassador
