Report finds NHS app falls short on accessibility
Only 3 per cent of blind and partially sighted people find the NHS App fully accessible, according to new research from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eye Health and Visual Impairment.
The APPG report raises serious concerns about Government plans to make the NHS App the "full front door to the NHS" by 2028. Other findings include that amongst blind and partially sighted people:
- 46 per cent of respondents who use the App found it difficult or very difficult to use.
- 29 per cent of those who use the App found logging in or proving their identity to be the most difficult part of the service.
Marsha De Cordova MP, Chair of the APPG said:
"The Government wants the NHS App to be the digital front door to the NHS by 2028, and I support that ambition. But a door that blind and partially sighted people like myself cannot open is not a front door for everyone. Too many told us they still cannot read their own appointment letters or test results without asking someone else for help. In 2026, that is not acceptable".
Khadija Raza, Policy Lead at RNIB said:
"Blind and partially sighted people have the right to receive information about their health and care in a format they can read and understand. However, in practice we know this right is rarely implemented, the consequences of which could cause serious risk to health, wellbeing, safety, and privacy.
The NHS App could be a great tool for digitally enabled blind and partially sighted people, if designed accessibly, but non-digital options should be maintained for those who cannot access online services. This would allow blind and partially sighted people to manage their health with the same level of privacy, dignity, and independence as everyone else."
The report, titled Accessible Healthcare in a Digital NHS, will be the focus of an event in the House of Commons on 23 November 2026. It examines how accessible the NHS App and wider digital health services are for blind and partially sighted people, including the proposed Single Patient Record.
The APPG is now calling on the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve the NHS App’s accessibility before expanding its services, by working with people with communication needs.
Specific recommendations include:
- Ensuring patients can record their accessibility needs once, in line with the NHS England Accessible Information Standard and Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag.
- Strengthening accountability for digital accessibility and accessible information.
- Guaranteeing non-digital alternatives remain available as more healthcare services move online.
RNIB and Thomas Pocklington Trust jointly fund the APPG. Read the report on the APPG website
Find out more about RNIB’s My Info My Way campaign for accessible health and care information.
