Name: Messaging in the NHS App
Creator: NHS website
License: https://developer.api.nhs.uk/terms

The messaging services available in your NHS App depend on your GP surgery or healthcare providers.

You may be able to:

view messages from your NHS healthcare services (through the NHS App Messaging service)
send messages to your GP surgery (through GP surgery systems)
request advice and view responses from your GP surgery, or follow up on things like test results (sometimes called an online consultation)
view and send messages between you and your healthcare provider (for example, from specialist doctors at a hospital)

You can also turn on notifications for the NHS App to find out about new messages. You cannot get notifications when using a web browser to access your account through the NHS website.

Access messaging

To find messaging:

Log in to the NHS App or through the NHS website.
Go to Messages.

You can also get to your messages from the homepage by selecting View your messages.

View messages from your NHS healthcare services

This is where you access the NHS App Messaging Service.

This service is a reliable and secure way to get information that you might usually get through text messages or letters.

Messages are:

sent directly to you through your NHS number (instead of phone number or address), which means it is a more reliable way to reach you if your contact information is out of date at your GP surgery
always from verified senders, such as your GP surgery and healthcare providers
kept secure by the same technology that keeps your other information safe in the app

You may get messages through other ways, such as text messages, as well as through your NHS App.

For information about privacy, see the NHS App privacy policy for messaging services.

Send messages to your GP surgery and view responses

If your GP surgery offers this service, you'll be able to contact them online. After you have sent a message, your surgery or health professional will follow up. This will usually be a text message, phone call or message in your NHS App.

If they send a message back, you will not be able to reply. Start a new message if you need to contact them again.

The time it takes for them to follow up can vary. If you did not get a response, and you need this information now, contact your surgery another way.

For information about privacy, see the NHS App privacy policy for messaging services.

Important: Messaging is for non-urgent advice

If you need advice now, call your GP surgery, go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

Request advice from your GP surgery, or follow up on things like test results

If your GP surgery offers this service, you'll be able to answer questions online (sometimes called an online consultation) and get a response from your GP surgery.

After you have answered questions online, your GP surgery or health professional will contact you. This will usually be a text message, phone call or message in your NHS App.

The time it takes for them to follow up can vary. If you did not get a response, and you need this information now, contact your surgery another way.

For information about privacy, see the NHS App privacy policy for messaging services.

Important: Messaging is for non-urgent advice

If you need advice now, call your GP surgery, go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

Receive messages and updates from your specialist doctors

If this is available to you, you may be able to send and receive messages between you and health professionals. For example, specialists at a hospital. Messages are sent or received through either:

Although you access these messages in the NHS App, they are hosted by a supplier contracted by your healthcare provider. You'll often be taken to the supplier's system to log in and view any messages sent through this service.

For information about privacy, see the NHS App privacy policy for messaging services.

Messaging providers in the NHS App

GP surgery messaging providers

Your GP surgery contracts with a GP system supplier to deliver online services like messaging. They are a commercial organisation that provides a service on behalf of your surgery.

If you have any questions about the information provided in a message, contact the organisation who sent it to you.

For information about privacy, see the NHS App privacy policy for messaging services.

Health professional messaging providers

Your GP surgery or hospital contracts with one or more providers to deliver personal health record and online consultation services. The providers are commercial organisations. They provide a service on behalf of your surgery or hospital.

Find out more about personal health record services and online consultation services in the NHS App.