NHS App pilots to free up 500,000 hospital appointments annually

• NHS England is launching 45 pilot schemes across 37 trusts to streamline healthcare and ease pressure on hospitals.
• The initiative will allow patients direct access to specialist care via the NHS App, enabling them to self-report health data and complete forms remotely.
• These pilots, focusing on five key specialisms including ENT and cardiology, are projected to free up 500,000 hospital appointments annually once fully implemented.
• The expansion of remote care coincides with a world-first NHS trial involving over 250 motor neurone disease patients, exploring remote monitoring and adjustment of portable ventilators.
• Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that using technology brings care closer to home, frees up hospital appointments, and aims to deliver easier, faster, and more accessible care.

IN FULL

Patients to receive direct access to specialists in new NHS trial