As a parent, family member or carer, you may be able to add someone to your NHS App using family and carer access. This is sometimes called having a linked profile or having proxy access.
You and the other person need to be registered at the same GP surgery to do this.
If they're added to your NHS App, you can manage health services for that person using the NHS App, or by logging in through the NHS website.
We've updated the NHS App to make it easier to use.
How to manage health services for another person
Family and carer access used to be described in the app as manage health services for others.
To act for another person once family and carer access is set up:
- Select Profile.
- Select Family and carer access.
- Select the name of the person you want to act for.
How to know when you are using another person's profile
When you have switched to a different profile, you will see a yellow banner at the top of the screen. It will include "Acting for" and the person's name. You will also see their name as the main heading on the homepage.
How to switch back to your profile
When you have finished using services on behalf of another person:
- Select the Switch back to your profile link in the yellow banner at the top.
- Select Switch to my profile.
How to use family and carer access in the NHS App
This video explains how you can manage health services for a child, family member or someone else you care for using family and carer access in the NHS App. This is also known as proxy access, linked accounts or switching profiles.
Media review due: 24 March 2029
Setting up access
Your GP surgery will need to set up family and carer access for you. Both you and the other person need to be patients at the same surgery. Your GP surgery can guide you through registration.
You'll need to provide identification. This is so they can confirm who you are and check it’s appropriate for you to act for the other person.
Depending on the level of access your surgery agrees to give you, you may be able to:
- book an appointment for the other person
- request and manage their repeat prescriptions
- see their test results or other health information
Adding people in the NHS App
Some GP surgeries are testing a new NHS service which you can use to apply for family and carer access in the NHS App.
If your GP surgery is taking part, you will see these options when you select Family and carer access:
- Apply to access services for someone else
- Give someone you trust access to your services
You can use these to send an application to your GP surgery.
Your GP surgery will do safeguarding and other checks, and get consent if needed, before giving access.
Managing access to your health services
Contact your GP surgery to manage access to your own health services. They can:
- change how much access someone has to your health services
- remove someone's access to your health services
Access to your health services as a young person
If you’re a young person, you may have questions about who has access to your services as you get older. Before a child is aged 11, their parents usually control access to their health record and online GP services.
When the child is aged between 11 and 16, parents may be allowed proxy access to their child's online services, if the GP surgery agrees this is appropriate. This access ends when the child reaches the age of 16.
If you are aged 13 or over, and you are registered at a GP surgery in England or the Isle of Man, you can access your own services in your NHS App.
If you're aged between 11 and 16, and you have questions about who can access your health record or online services, contact your GP surgery.