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Introduction

The NHS Wales App (the App) is currently in Public Beta. This means that, although still under development and testing, the service is live and available to the public.

It provides a simple and secure way for patients to access a range of services on their mobile devices or a web browser.


The App enables patients to:

  • search for medical advice from the NHS Wales 111 online service
  • set their organ and blood donation preferences 
  • discover other health and care services, such as screening programmes


If your practice is live in the App,  depending on the services you offer, your patients will also be able to:

  • book and cancel appointments
  • order repeat prescriptions
  • view their GP health record securely
  • use My Health Timeline and My Health Journal

More NHS Wales features will be rolled out in future. As they do become available, this toolkit will be updated.

 

Benefits to your GP practice

  • The App supports time-critical activities for staff, such as freeing up time previously spent at reception to book appointments and taking repeat prescription orders over the phone
  • It provides an easier and more convenient access for patients to practice services, at a time that suits them
  • It improves patient care through better use of digital solutions

Who can use the NHS Wales App        

To use the NHS Wales App, patients must:

  • be registered with a GP practice in Wales
  • be aged 16 or over
  • be able to prove their identity (photo ID such as a passport or driving licence)
  • have their own individual email address, because the email address acts as an unique identifier for an NHS login account

Patients can download the App to their iOS or Android devices (search for “NHS Wales App” in App stores/Google Play), or use on a web browser (https://app.nhs.wales and https://ap.gig.cymru). 

Patient access to GP services 

NHS login and levels of verification


To be able to sign in and use the App, users must have an NHS login. 

There are two levels of verification available on NHS login.

  1. Medium level verification: The patient provides their NHS number, date of birth and the postcode of their home address as registered with their GP practice. This level of access does not allow access to personal information, services like appointments or prescription ordering or health records on the App.
  2. High level verification: The patient must prove who they are with a valid photo ID and face scan or video. At this level, patients can access all the services your practice makes available online, including appointments, prescriptions and health records.

Note: The NHS login registration route that allows patients to register without photo ID by using a verification letter from their practice called the "Wales identity verification service (WIVS) is not currently available in Wales. Work is ongoing with NHS login to enable this. Currently, if patients cannot verify their identity with photo ID, they cannot get high level verification, and at this moment in time will not be able to use GP online services within the  NHS Wales App.

Find out more about NHS login rules of use

Appendix 1: NHS level verifications and App access shows what patients can use the App for, depending on these variables.

 

Proxy access


The NHS Wales App will soon support proxy access, which will mean patients will be able to use the App on behalf of a minor or as a carer. Further details will be available in due course.

 

Help and support

Find help and support for using Cegedim

Find help and support for using Emis