NHS Wales App adds waiting list tracking for patients

Patients across Wales can now track their position on hospital waiting lists through a functional update to the NHS Wales App. The application allows users to view their referral status, monitor progress on waiting lists, and access information designed to help them manage their health while awaiting treatment. This update specifically applies to individuals who have been added to a hospital waiting list since December.

The Welsh Government, which oversees the platform as part of a wider digital transformation strategy, reports that the system has now processed more than 80,000 waiting list referrals. Furthermore, over 197,000 hospital appointment notifications have been integrated into the service. In addition to monitoring their position on a list, patients are able to view details regarding upcoming hospital appointments, which includes logistical information such as directions to clinical sites and other supporting guidance.

Media additions

Sarah Murphy, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, has framed the development as a fulfilment of a previous commitment to provide greater transparency to the public regarding expected wait times.

"Our ambition remains for the NHS Wales App to become the digital front door for all NHS and social care services. We promised to give people more information about how long they can expect to wait for treatment. These updates deliver on that commitment."

Sarah Murphy, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing

The NHS Wales App, which is bilingual, launched in April 2023. Since its introduction, it has seen more than 650,000 registrations—a figure the government equates to one in five adults in Wales. The platform has recorded nearly 13.5 million logins and facilitated more than three million repeat prescription orders. Beyond the new waiting list features, the app allows users to view their health timelines and prescription history, check organ donation consent, access health advice, and send secure messages to their GP surgeries. For those who cannot use the standard NHS Login system, the app offers the Welsh Identity Verification Service.

Despite the rollout, accessibility to these new features is not uniform across the country. The integration of waiting list data depends on the specific health board involved, and officials have noted that some patients may continue to receive traditional referral letters. A specific limitation exists for patients under the Powys Teaching Hospital Health Board, who are currently unable to view referrals for hospitals located in England via the app. Officials advise that notifications are not functional within the web browser version of the application; users are encouraged to use the mobile app, where a red circle appears next to the messages tab when a new update regarding a waiting list is available.

The process for tracking involves selecting a notification that leads to the app's message center, where a link provides access to the health timeline. Should a patient wish to change or cancel a referral, they are directed to follow instructions found within the specific hospital event in their health timeline. While the current update covers waiting list visibility, the Welsh Government has outlined a broader roadmap for further technological expansion. Future updates are intended to incorporate summary health records and provide patients with direct access to clinical test results.

The Welsh Government maintains that it will continue to update and expand the app’s capabilities, ensuring it meets the needs of patients and clinicians alike.