Why the NHS App can help – if we use it on our own terms

In England, the NHS App can bring many pieces of your care into one place: repeat prescriptions, test results, appointment details, messages from your GP surgery and sometimes hospital referrals too. Used well, it can save time, cut down phone queues and give you more control over your health information.

But it can also feel overwhelming. Seeing test results without explanation, or messages arriving at awkward times, can easily trigger worry. This guide is about using the app as a tool in your hands, not as a source of pressure that runs your day.

What the NHS App can usually do

Exact features depend on your GP surgery and local services, but many people can use the NHS App to:

• Order repeat prescriptions and choose a pharmacy where you collect them.
• View medicines and allergies recorded at your GP surgery.
• See parts of your GP record – such as diagnoses, consultation notes and test results, if your practice has enabled this.
• View and manage GP appointments, and sometimes hospital referrals and appointments.
• Receive messages or links from your GP or practice team.
• Use NHS 111 online for urgent but non-emergency advice.
• View and update settings like organ donation decisions or data-sharing choices.

Some people can also access the app on behalf of someone they care for, once the GP surgery has set up linked or proxy access for them.

Building your “safety frame” before logging in

Before you even tap the NHS App icon, it helps to set a safety frame – a few quiet promises to yourself:

• Time limit: “I will use the app for up to 15 minutes, not all evening.”
• Purpose: “Today I am only checking prescriptions / appointments, not reading every old letter.”
• Afterwards: “When I log out, I will do something grounding – a cup of tea, a phone call, a short walk.”

Without this frame, it is easy to fall into “scrolling your own medical history” at midnight, which often leaves people more anxious and less rested for the next day.

Logging in safely – protecting the front door

The NHS App uses an NHS login. You usually set this up with an email address, password and extra security checks. To keep your account safe:

• Choose a password that is hard for others to guess but possible for you to remember – for example a long phrase with numbers and symbols.
• Do not reuse the same password you use for email, shopping or social media accounts.
• Where available, turn on extra security such as a code sent by text or an authenticator app.
• On your phone or tablet, use a screen lock (PIN, fingerprint or face recognition) so that others cannot easily open the app if they pick up your device.

If a message or phone call ever asks you for your full NHS login password or asks you to share a code that just appeared on your phone, treat it as suspicious and check directly with the NHS or your GP surgery using trusted contact details.

Logging out – closing the back door properly

Logging out is as important as logging in. It is the digital equivalent of closing your front door:

• Look for a “Log out” or “Sign out” option – usually in the menu (often three lines or dots) or under your name or profile.
• Make it a habit to log out each time you finish checking prescriptions, appointments or results, especially on shared devices.
• If you accidentally leave the app open, closing the app and locking your phone is a good backup – but logging out is safer on tablets and computers used by others.

If you lose your phone or tablet:

• Let your GP surgery know, so they can advise if any access should be changed.
• Change your NHS login password from another device if you can.
• Ask a trusted person or your phone provider for help using any “Find my device” or “remote lock” tools, if you have them set up.

Repeat prescriptions – saving steps without losing safety

Ordering repeat prescriptions through the app can:

• Save you a journey or a phone call to the surgery.
• Reduce the risk of running out of regular medicines if you set a reminder to order in time.
• Help you see exactly which medicines are on your repeat list.

To use this safely:

• Check the list carefully – only tick the medicines you actually need this time.
• Keep your nominated pharmacy information up to date – especially if you change where you collect your medicines.
• Do not change doses or stop medicines just because the app shows something differently – always discuss changes with your GP or pharmacist first.

If you notice a medicine missing or you are unsure why something has changed, the app is a signal to ask questions, not to guess. Make a note to raise it with your prescriber or pharmacist.

Test results and letters – protecting your emotional “budget”

One powerful part of the NHS App is the ability to see test results, clinic letters and parts of your GP record. For some people, this brings relief and clarity. For others, it can feel like opening a medical textbook with no guide.

A few strategies:

• Choose your time. If possible, read new results in the daytime rather than late at night, and not just before a big event or journey.
• Use a notebook. Write down anything that confuses you, rather than trying to hold it all in your head.
• Remember context. Many lab values are only meaningful in relation to your age, condition and previous results. A “H” or “L” does not always mean danger.
• Plan a follow-up. If something worries you, decide how you will ask about it – phone call, online form, or bringing it to your next appointment.

You are allowed to pace how much of your record you read at once. For some people, ten minutes is plenty; more than that can trigger old medical memories or fears. Your body will usually tell you when it has had enough.

Online forms and messages – using them without feeling rushed

Many GP surgeries now use online forms or messages through the NHS App for certain problems or administrative requests. They can be helpful when:

• You struggle to get through on the phone.
• You find it easier to write down symptoms than to explain them quickly to a receptionist.
• You want to request a fit note, enquire about a test result or raise a non-urgent issue.

Tips for using online forms:

• Draft your main points on paper first – especially what has changed, for how long, and what you are most worried about.
• Mention any “red flag” symptoms clearly (for example chest pain, sudden weakness, heavy bleeding) – and remember these may still need urgent telephone or 999 contact instead of a routine form.
• Keep a copy of what you send – either by taking a photo of the screen or writing the key points in your notebook. This helps you remember what you told them.

Some surgeries respond by text, some by phone and some within the app itself. If you do not hear back in the time they promised on their website or messages, you are allowed to chase – calmly but firmly.

Sharing access with family or carers – staying in charge

As health needs become more complex, many older adults want a trusted person to help with online services. There are two very different things:

• Handing someone your login details (email and password) – quick, but unsafe, and can cause confusion later.
• Proxy/linked access set up through your GP surgery – slower, but clearer and safer. This lets someone use their own login to view and manage certain parts of your record or prescriptions, with your permission.

If you ask your GP for proxy access, it can help to agree ground rules with the person supporting you:

• What are they allowed to do alone (for example order regular prescriptions)?
• What should they always discuss with you first (for example reading new clinic letters)?
• What situations would you like them to raise with the GP even if you hesitate (for example confusion, falls, low mood)?

You can change your mind about proxy access; talk to your surgery if you want to reduce or remove someone’s access in future.

Linking the NHS App with other PHAT resources

The NHS App is one part of your wider health “toolkit”. You might find it helpful to combine this guide with:

• Finding trusted health information online – so that what you read in the app can be backed up by balanced explanations.
• Protecting yourself from online scams and fake messages – to help you spot fake messages that pretend to be from the NHS.
• Getting started with smartphones, tablets and laptops – to make sure your devices themselves are set up comfortably and safely.
• Joining a PHAT Zoom exercise session step by step – so online health is not only about reading screens, but also about movement and community.

Designing an “NHS App Routine” that protects your mental space

Instead of checking the NHS App randomly whenever a notification pings, you might design a small routine:

• When: For example, “I check my NHS App once or twice a week, in the morning, not just before bed.”
• Where: At a table with good lighting, notebook and glasses ready – not half-asleep under the duvet.
• With whom: Alone for privacy, or with a trusted person nearby to help interpret information.
• After: A short movement, stretch or PHAT exercise video, to bring attention back to your body in the present, not just your records in the past.

This routine turns the app into a scheduled appointment with yourself, rather than a constant background worry.

How PHAT supports your digital health journey

PHAT cannot manage your NHS App account for you, but we can stand alongside you as you:

• Practise using simple digital tools in a calm, friendly environment.
• Turn online information into real-world routines – gentle exercise, better sleep habits, confidence after illness.
• Share feelings about tests, letters and appointments with people who understand that health is not just numbers, but also stories and relationships.

Over time, our hope is that you feel less like a passenger in a complicated system, and more like a partner in your own care – using the NHS App, PHAT sessions and your professional team together, each doing what it does best. 🌱