Pandemic prompts surge in people using NHS tech in 2020

Digital services provided by the NHS have seen a huge increase in usage throughout 2020 as a result of social distancing and the need to access healthcare remotely.

Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, tech services provided by NHS Digital have seen unprecedented levels of usage by both patients and frontline staff.

For example, the NHS website usually attracts around 360 million visits a year, which is around 30 million visits a month. It has been a key platform in the NHS’ response to the coronavirus pandemic and has already had an estimated 803 million visits this year. The number of users peaked in March 2020 with 120 million estimated visits (the highest ever) and again in September 2020 with 81 million estimated visits.

Elsewhere, the NHS App has increased from 192,676 people using the NHS App on 11 December 2019 to 1,951,640 users on 13 December this year, and increase of 912 per cent. Additionally, the number of repeat prescription requests made via the app increased by 495 per cent and the number of patient record views rose by 321 per cent.

There have also been noticeable increases in the use of NHS Pathways, which directs 111 and 999 triages to the most appropriate service available, NHS 111 online, which allows patients to get urgent healthcare online, NHS login, which provides patients with a simple, secure and re-usable way to access multiple digital health and care services such as the NHS App, the Electronic Prescription Service, which allows prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy of the patient's choice, and Microsoft Teams, which was made available to NHS organisations for free in March 2020 to counter the increased risks associated with coronavirus.

Ben Davison NHS Digital’s Executive Director for Product Development said: “There’s no doubting that 2020 has been a challenging year for the NHS. Our teams have had to work harder and faster than ever to cope with the huge public demand for the many digital technologies across the NHS. It’s this technology that has enabled doctors, nurses and other health professionals to deliver care remotely where possible – freeing up time for those patients who need face-to-face care.

“It’s this technology that is keeping people well while they isolate with good information and advice, and the ability to manage things like prescriptions remotely. We’re fully expecting the numbers using NHS tech to continue rising in 2021, as the general public continues to play a key role in helping to ease the burden on our fantastic frontline services.”