The NHS app will become the default method of communication for patients seeking appointment reminders, screening invitations and test results as part of a major investment.

Millions more people will receive personal health information directly to their smartphones within the next three years in a move that is expected to save the health service £200 million, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

It will also avoid the need for at least 50 million NHS letters being sent by post each year, with the Health Secretary likening the shift from analogue to digital to “online banking or ordering a takeaway”.

The £50 million investment will see 270 million messages sent through the NHS app this year, an increase of 70 million on the previous financial year.

Push notifications will prov

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