People across England are being encouraged to use the NHS App as an easy way to register their organ donation decision – as more than 7,000 patients actively wait for a transplant.
The total number of organ donation decisions registered for the first time through the NHS App has increased by over a fifth over the last year to 546,825 (up 22% from 448,562 last August).
The latest figures, which are being highlighted on the back of last week’s Organ Donation Week, show that 98,263 new organ donation decisions were registered via the NHS App during the period September 2022 – August 2023.
Overall, organ donation preferences have been managed 4.1million times through the NHS App.
NHS England figures show that:
- The NHS App has now had more than 32.8 million sign-ups since its launch in December 2018
- Over 29.1 million repeat prescriptions were ordered via the app in the last year (around 500,000 every week)
- More than 13 million messages have been delivered to NHS patients in the NHS App from GP surgeries, hospitals and national services
- There have been over 480,000 COVID vaccinations booked on the NHS App since November 2022
- Eligible patients will also receive flu and COVID vaccination invitations through the app this winter.
NHS England’s Delivery Director for the NHS App Martin O’Neil said: “In a time when more than 7,000 patients are actively waiting for a transplant, it’s really encouraging to see that the total number of organ donation decisions registered for the first time through the NHS App has increased by over 20% in this last year.
“This is an important decision to make, and another way in which the NHS App is helping patients to manage their choices and access healthcare.
“The NHS App has now had more than 32 million sign-ups across England and is used by people of all ages – from students starting at university and needing to register with a GP to older people using it to order a repeat prescription without the need to make a trip to their GP."
