24/7 GP appointment booking is now live in the NHS App for more than one million patients
Rapid Health’s Smart Triage innovation newly integrated into the NHS App, is improving GP access for patients across England.
For the first time, over one million patients can access appointments not previously available via the NHS App 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, marking an improvement in patient experience, and reducing administrative pressure on practices. Every patient using Smart Triage that requires an appointment, is offered an average of 61 appointment slots to choose from. When given this choice, patients typically choose a slot in the following 3 – 7 days.
Before today, patients registered with most GP practices could request an appointment through the NHS App, but this request would typically be sent to the practice’s inbox and then triaged by a reception team or doctor within a target time of 24 hours.
For GP practices using Rapid Health’s online appointment and booking system, Rapid Health’s Smart Triage integration with the NHS App offers patients a smoother way to access care and greater choice of type and time of appointment. Using AI developed by clinicians, patients can describe their symptoms and receive an instant triage to the right appointment. If the patient requires an appointment with a GP or other care professional, and their practice is using Rapid Health’s Smart Triage functionality, they will be able to book that appointment directly within the NHS App. This means better access for patients, and more GPs and reception teams freed up from triaging routine requests and administrative tasks.
In another national first, patients registered with digital-first NHS surgeries who use Smart Triage, like those provided by London-based GP at Hand, can now request and book an appointment via the NHS App, and be seen virtually, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.
The AI-powered Smart Triage functionality, provided by UK health technology company and NHS Innovation Accelerator Fellow, Rapid Health, is contributing to a key target set in the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework, which calls for 95% of post-triage appointments to be available via the NHS App by 2028/29. Rapid Health Smart Triage is delivering that target for GP practices using it today, three years ahead of schedule.
Before today, Rapid Health’s Smart Triage functionality was available to GP practices for use on their own websites, over the phone, and in practice. Data from practices using Smart Triage outside of the NHS App, including an independent evaluation by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, part of the national Health Innovation Network, has showed:
- Wait times for an appointment cut from 11 days to just 3 days on average
- 70% of patients are seen within a week
- 47% fewer phone calls at peak hours, all but eliminating the ‘8am rush’
- Average triage time of just 3½ minutes
- 26% increase in clinician satisfaction and 33% more positive patient feedback
Clinical leaders have welcomed the enhanced GP access for patients.
“I have observed use of Smart Triage in General Practice and it is a great example of the huge potential of AI-enabled solutions to increase NHS productivity and improve patient experience. Having this technology integrated with the NHS App, supports patients to access the specific help that they need at a time that suits them, while also freeing up me and my practice colleagues’ time to focus on patients in the most urgent need.”
“I have observed use of Smart Triage in General Practice and it is a great example of the huge potential of AI-enabled solutions to increase NHS productivity and improve patient experience. Having this technology integrated with the NHS App, supports patients to access the specific help that they need at a time that suits them, while also freeing up me and my practice colleagues’ time to focus on patients in the most urgent need.”
“Since using Rapid Health’s Smart Triage, our patients can access GP care on their terms. This isn’t just more convenient, it’s transformed our ability to provide safe, timely care while giving our clinical teams the capacity to focus on what they do best, looking after patients. Smart Triage is unlocking our clinical capacity and supporting NHS productivity targets. As a result, we’ve seen clinician satisfaction rise by 26%, and patient satisfaction rise by 33%.”
“Since using Rapid Health’s Smart Triage, our patients can access GP care on their terms. This isn’t just more convenient, it’s transformed our ability to provide safe, timely care while giving our clinical teams the capacity to focus on what they do best, looking after patients. Smart Triage is unlocking our clinical capacity and supporting NHS productivity targets. As a result, we’ve seen clinician satisfaction rise by 26%, and patient satisfaction rise by 33%.”
“We’re proving that the NHS’s digital ambitions of improving patient convenience while increasing productivity don’t have to wait until 2028. Smart Triage is helping the NHS App improve access to the NHS with real-time triage, instant booking, and genuine 24/7 access, all while releasing clinical capacity. The 8am scramble is becoming a thing of the past.”
“We’re proving that the NHS’s digital ambitions of improving patient convenience while increasing productivity don’t have to wait until 2028. Smart Triage is helping the NHS App improve access to the NHS with real-time triage, instant booking, and genuine 24/7 access, all while releasing clinical capacity. The 8am scramble is becoming a thing of the past.”
“We’re pleased to see Rapid Health continue to grow and scale, demonstrating how innovation can move from local testing into national adoption. This milestone shows the real-world impact that NHS-supported innovators can achieve in improving access and experience for patients.”
“We’re pleased to see Rapid Health continue to grow and scale, demonstrating how innovation can move from local testing into national adoption. This milestone shows the real-world impact that NHS-supported innovators can achieve in improving access and experience for patients.”
Throughout early 2026, the new functionality will be rolled out to all of the GP practices using Rapid Health Smart Triage.
