Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle digital exclusion among patients undertaking kidney function tests who do not have smart phones.

The Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award currently supports the deployment and evaluation of one digital technology that enables patients to test their kidney function via a smartphone app. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have stated that patients should continue to be offered a blended approach of face-to-face and remote appointments, with digital triage and testing where possible. Patients' input into the choice of consultation mode with their general practitioners should be sought and practices should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary, such as the lack of a smartphone or the presence of COVID-19 symptoms.