Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to integrate digital tools into NHS services to help (a) tailor those services to the diverse needs of patients and (b) improve those services.

Patients are able to access National Health Services, such as requesting general practice appointments and managing secondary care appointments, through local online tools and the NHS App, which can also be accessed through a web browser. The NHS App is designed to meet international accessibility standards, and the services are routinely tested with a range of people with accessibility issues. However, digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.

NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion, and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.