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Full medical records, test results and letters from doctors will all be available in the NHS App in plans for a digital revolution in the health service in England.
Ministers hope the changes – part of the new 10-year strategy for the NHS in England – will overhaul the way patients interact with the health service in the same way that apps have changed the way they bank.
Currently the NHS App is limited because patient records are held locally by a patient’s GP and any hospitals they visit – and not all parts of the health service interact with the app.
But the government said it was pushing ahead with plans to create a single patient record.
Campaigners have raised concerns about data protection, but ministers say they are “absolutely committed” to protecting confidential medical information.
It comes as the government launches a new “national conversation” to inform the 10-year plan, which is due to be published in the spring.
One of the key themes of the plan will be moving from “analogue to digital” – and unique patient records will be a central part of this.
The government said it would speed up patient care, reduce repeat tests and medical errors.
Last year, a contract was awarded to the firm Palantir to create a database that combines individual records held by local services.
It will allow patients and those who treat them to access information about their health.
Campaign group MedConfidential warned that having such a single record would be “open to abuse”.
But Care Minister Stephen Kinnock defended the move, saying the government was “absolutely committed” to protecting patient data.
He said safeguards that would provide a “cast iron guarantee” on security would be set out in a new bill to be tabled in Parliament to go ahead with the move.
The 10-year plan will also focus on moving care out of hospitals and into the community.
The government has said that local neighborhood health centres, where patients can access GPs, district nurses, physios and tests all under one roof, will be part of it.
But he said he wanted to hear from the public about their ideas for change as part of the national conversation.
The public engagement exercise begins on Monday, with the launch of the change.nhs.uk website.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The NHS is going through the worst crisis in its history, but while the NHS is broken, it is not broken. Together we can fix it.
“Whether you use the NHS or work in it, you will see first-hand what is great, but also what is not working. We need your ideas to help turn the NHS around.”
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, said she “warmly welcomes” the initiative.
She said: “For too long, many patients have felt that their voice was not fully heard in the health service.
“This national conversation marks a significant step towards true patient collaboration and puts patients in the thick of how the NHS evolves.”
RCN general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said it was vital that NHS staff were also involved.
But she said any future plans would require “new investment”.
Next week, the government is expected to set out extra funding for this winter and next year when chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her budget.
