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Written question asked by Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 2 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 6 July 2026. It was answered by Preet Kaur Gill (Labour) on Thursday, 9 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

NHS Trusts: Electronic Messaging

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS trusts are required or incentivised to prioritise digital communication where appropriate; whether a national digital-first policy exists; and what Government arrangements are in place to encourage consistent adoption across NHS organisations.

Answer

As part of its 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to a digital-first National Health Service that delivers for patients.

The NHS App is the primary digital channel providing patients with a range of NHS services on their smartphone or tablet whilst NHS Notify is the centralised, digital-first messaging service that is being adopted across the NHS. This enables trusts and providers in England to communicate with patients and the public using both digital and non-digital formats, as appropriate.

The 10-Year Health Plan introduces a new operating model to incentivise adoption of digital services including earned autonomy, a failure regime for persistent underperformance, published provider league tables, and an expectation that all hospitals will be "fully AI-enabled" within the plan's lifetime.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15636
Session
2026-27
Subjects
NHS trusts Electronic messaging
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk