Millions of patients have been left unable to access the NHS<\/a> app after a major outage disrupted key digital health services, including GP appointment bookings, prescription orders and 111 access.<\/p>\n Users attempting to log in were met with an error message stating: ‘We could not log you in. This may be a temporary problem. You can go back and try logging in later.’<\/p>\n The disruption was flagged by outage tracker Downdetector, which recorded a surge in reports from users experiencing problems with the service.<\/p>\n Based on the graph shown on the outage tracking service, the volume of user reports surged around 11.41am.<\/p>\n At the time of writing, NHS officials have not confirmed the cause of the outage or given a timeframe for when normal service will be restored. The NHS has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n Frustrated users took to X (formerly Twitter<\/a>) to report issues.<\/p>\n One wrote: ‘@NHS is your app down? I can’t access the app or the app team. What’s the problem. Different error code every time.’<\/p>\n Another said: ‘Is the @NHSuk app completely broken for anyone else right now? I keep getting an error message when I try to log in\u2026 Help!’<\/p>\n Those attempting to log in are instead met with an error message stating: ‘We could not log you in. This may be a temporary problem. You can go back and try logging in later’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Others questioned the growing reliance on digital healthcare, with one user adding: ‘This is exactly why being forced to rely so heavily on digital tech for important, time\u2013sensitive health\u2013related things is a bad thing.’<\/p>\n The NHS app allows users in England to manage healthcare digitally, including ordering repeat prescriptions, booking GP appointments, viewing medical records and test results, managing hospital referrals, and accessing NHS 111 symptom checks<\/a>.<\/p>\n It also enables patients to manage organ donation decisions and receive messages from their GP or hospital.<\/p>\n The outage comes despite NHS\u2013linked accounts promoting the app just an hour earlier, including Leicester’s Hospitals, which posted: ‘If you need urgent medical help but you’re not sure where to go, use 111\u2026 Call, go online or use the NHS App<\/a>.’<\/p>\n The disruption also comes amid wider debate over the future of the NHS app as ministers push plans to make it central to digital healthcare.<\/p>\n Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged major upgrades, including AI\u2013powered tools designed to answer medical questions and guide patients through care options.<\/p>\n Under proposals in the Government’s 10\u2013Year Health Plan, the app is expected to become a ‘digital front door’ to the NHS, with patients able to book, change and cancel appointments and access personalised medical advice.<\/p>\n Mr Streeting has said the aim is to end the ‘8am scramble’ for GP appointments and make accessing healthcare ‘as easy and convenient as doing your banking or shopping online’.<\/p>\n By 2028, the app is expected to combine elements of patients’ medical records with AI tools to provide instant guidance and direct users to appropriate care.<\/p>\n Millions of patients have been left unable to access the NHS app after it suffered a major outage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However, patient groups have warned that a shift towards digital\u2013first healthcare could risk excluding some users, particularly older people.<\/p>\n Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, said there were concerns that greater reliance on the app could leave some patients behind, adding: ‘For some, the doctor in their pocket will be padlocked.’<\/p>\n Caroline Abrahams of Age UK described the plans as ‘truly exciting’, but stressed the need to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’.<\/p>\n![\"Those](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/23\/12\/108099559-15758665-image-a-1_1776942881572.jpg\")
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