Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of IT systems used by primary care providers with the NHS App and systems used in secondary care; and what steps his Department is taking to improve interoperability between these systems.

The NHS App is able to integrate with all general practice core clinical systems, most online consultation solutions, and the majority of patient messaging platforms. It is also integrated with all but two acute trusts, all specialist trusts, and several mental health and community trust solutions for appointment management. As part of delivering the 10-Year Health Plan, NHS England is reviewing the standards and capabilities required across primary and secondary care digital solutions to support more joined-up care through the NHS App as a single point of access.

NHS England has launched a Digital Pathways Registry, which will raise the baseline standards expected of digital solutions in primary care. This includes strengthened requirements for interoperability, common data standards, and integration with national services such as the NHS App, supporting a more consistent and connected digital experience for patients and professionals.