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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 Karin Smyth (Labour) on Monday, 13 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

NHS: Postal Services

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS patient communications continue to be sent by post nationally, and the estimated cost of printing and posting these communications.

Answer

Data on National Health Service spend on patient communications isn’t collected centrally. The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers.

The Government’s focus on shifting from ‘analogue to digital’ will streamline information and communication processes, including by improving the NHS App.

This will make it easier and quicker for patients to access information about their appointments, to cancel and reschedule appointments, and to receive correspondence on NHS test results. 96% of acute trusts in England now allow patients to view appointment information via the NHS App if they wish, reducing reliance on physical letters.

Usage has increased significantly, with the NHS App now supporting approximately eight million patient–trust interactions per month, an increase of 82% compared to a year ago. It also saves staff time to focus on providing high quality, non-digital communication for those who want and need it.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
15637
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Costs NHS Postal services
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk