Patients are now able to get support to access the NHS App in 1,400 libraries across England, NHS England has confirmed.
Around two in five public library services have signed up to the scheme (64 out of 151), with more expected to join ‘in the coming months’, it added.
The partnership between NHS England and libraries was announced in August and was set to launch in October with the National Health Literacy Partnership. It gives librarians toolkits and support to enable them to help people use the NHS App and NHS.uk.
Professor Bola Owolabi, director of the national healthcare inequalities improvement programme at NHS England, said: ‘The NHS is determined to ensure that everyone has easy access to the latest health advice, particularly those who do not own a device or the internet, as these people are also the most likely to have poor health outcomes.
‘Which is why support will now be available in 1,400 public libraries across the country to show people how to use the NHS app or seek out health information online in a free and safe environment close to their home.
‘More than 35 million people in England are already using the NHS app to view their GP records, test results and prescriptions so they can better manage their health, and the NHS hopes that many more will benefit from the offer through this new initiative.’
Louis Coiffait-Gunn, chief executive officer at CILIP, the Library and Information Association, said: ‘The recent health literacy pilots in public libraries demonstrate that people want to be shown how to use NHS.uk and the NHS app by trained public library professionals.
‘This phased rollout through public libraries will help even more people access and make the most of their own health information online, in order to ultimately improve their health outcomes. This is particularly important for disadvantaged communities, where libraries are such important local hubs.’
