Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services
The new NHS Wales App will be at the heart of enabling people to engage digitally with NHS and social care services across Wales.
The app has successfully undergone private beta testing, involving 700 people from 10 GP practices across Wales, and it will now start public beta testing today.
The feedback from the first phase of beta testing was positive and helped to identify a number of minor bugs, which have now been addressed. Content has also been improved.
As we move to public beta testing, a version of the NHS Wales App will be published on Apple and Google app stores for download. It will also be available at NHS Wales App website (English) and Ap GIG Cymru (Cymraeg). This is not the final version of the app – the Digital Services for Patients and the Public (DSPP) team, which is developing the app, will be releasing functionality as it is developed. There will also be a way for users to provide feedback to help the team to continue improving the app.
Some app functions, such as in-app access to 111 and organ donation online services, will be available to all but others, such as appointment booking, repeat prescription re-ordering, and viewing a summary of a GP health record, will only be available later, once a person’s GP practice has enabled the functionality. The DSPP team is working with surgeries across Wales to help them manage this change over the coming months.
The NHS Wales App isn’t only for primary care, we are developing functionality to help people manage planned care and for other health settings. We intend for the App to become a single digital front door for all health and social care services.
I will make a further statement to the Senedd once public beta testing is underway.
This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.