How a reengineered NHS App can transform care by learning from Europe

By Jamie Whysall, Principal & Head of Health, Netcompany

The recently published NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England sets out a bold vision for the future: an NHS that is more preventative, personalised, digitally enabled and financially sustainable.

Among these ambitions, tech stands out as the central thread – the key enabler for turning lofty goals into reality.

Of the plans outlined, it is the mooted evolution of the NHS App that may offer the most immediate, visible opportunity for transformation.

Done right, the next generation of the App could evolve far beyond process digitalisation and emerge as the “digital front door” to a modern, citizen-centred health service.

What the UK can learn from its peers

The NHS need not start from scratch. International examples show what’s possible when digital health access is treated as a foundational public right. #

In Denmark, the Sundhed.dk platform has become the heart of healthcare interaction for millions.

This state-run service integrates over 120 disparate data sources and supports seamless access to unified health records, prescriptions, vaccination data and appointments – securely, and all in one place.

This is no small feat.

But Denmark’s journey began decades ago, with the introduction of electronic health records in the late 1990s, followed by the national health portal, Sundhed.dk, in 2003.

By 2013, the Shared Medical Record (Sundhedsjournalen) made it easier for Danes to access more of their health information online, with younger citizens able see their full records. 

What distinguishes the Danish model is its patient and clinician-centric design that integrates accessibility, strong privacy, responsiveness to user feedback, and the ability to interact across both digital and traditional channels.

The result is near-universal adoption and satisfaction – a relevant benchmark as the NHS considers its own Single Patient Record commitment.

Scotland is already advancing on a similar path.

Its digital mailbox system brings together official communications and health notifications in a secure, user-friendly format, integrated with the national digital identity platform.

Jamie Whysall

This boosts confidentiality and improves engagement, particularly for those who benefit from multi-channel communication.

Single patient record – ambition and foundation

With Denmark’s journey in mind, the 10 Year Health Plan’s pledge for a Single Patient Record is ambitious but absolutely necessary.

Making this the centrepiece of the NHS App’s next phase would save money, reduce admin burden on staff, improve the patient experience and, ultimately, lead to better health outcomes for citizens.

Denmark’s example, where longitudinal citizen records are an unremarkable part of daily life, shows how impactful this can be.

Equally encouraging is the plan’s recognition that workforce transformation must keep pace with patient-facing digital change.

The recently launched NHS Workforce Plan and proposed Staff App aim to centralise staff engagement, onboarding, and support.

Once again, the Service can learn from the Danish approach, where digitally-structured staff data helps create a consistent, supportive experience across the whole health ecosystem.

Catching up versus innovating

The Plan is light on detail about exactly how this digital transformation will occur in practice – especially as the NHS must continue to deliver essential services at pace and scale.

Any consultancy can “rip up the old and implement the new,” but real digital change in the NHS is more like keeping the plane flying while you replace the engines.

This is the challenge – and hallmark – of resilient and responsible transformation.

In addition, while the plan’s ambitions are striking compared to the current baseline, much of what is described is already commonplace in leading health systems – many of which set this trajectory years ago.

If the NHS is truly to become a digital world leader, simply closing the gap is not enough.

Key considerations for the next NHS App

Based on UK and European experience, and in support of the Plan’s ambitions, several priorities stand out for the NHS App’s future evolution:

• True interoperability: Enable seamless data flows across all NHS and care settings, consolidating records, services and communications into a ‘digital control tower’, with open standards to support safe, joined-up care.
• Personalised, scalable digital journeys: A “digital front door” must leverage secure digital identity, integrated messaging, and intelligent prompts to empower people to self-serve and receive relevant, timely and confidential support.
• Modular, user-centred design: Embed continuous user research and phased rollouts, making the experience accessible, relevant, and responsive to evolving needs. Iterative improvement, shaped by real feedback, should be the norm.
• Digital inclusion and accessibility: Commitment to true mobile-first design, multi-channel access, and proactive outreach for digitally excluded groups must be foundational – making the service accessible and fair for all.
• Value that multiplies: In an era of constrained public finances, the App should be built to deliver real productivity gains, reduce system-wide waste, and clearly demonstrate a compelling return on public investment.

The NHS stands at a crucial juncture.

By harnessing lessons from effective, citizen-led digital systems abroad – and ensuring transformation is managed with care and pragmatism – the NHS can achieve both service resilience and new heights of public trust.

The real opportunity is not just to digitalise, but to reimagine – delivering an NHS App, and a wider digital NHS, that empowers citizens and professionals alike.