Is the NHS App working for Redbridge residents? Here's what we found
We wanted to understand what that shift would actually mean for local people. So between November 2025 and January 2026, we ran a survey across Redbridge - in community spaces, at Whipps Cross Hospital, at our Community Network Fair and online - to find out how people are currently using the NHS App, what's getting in the way, and whether they'd feel comfortable using it to access care and give feedback in the future. We received 152 responses.
What we found
Awareness of the NHS App is high: 93% of respondents had heard of it, and 72% had it installed on a device. But only 52% actually use it. That gap between having the app and using it is significant, and our findings help explain why.
The most common reason people gave for not using the app wasn't confusion or difficulty, it was a preference for speaking to another person. Phone calls and face-to-face contact are not a fallback for many Redbridge residents; they are the preferred and trusted route to healthcare. That matters as services continue to shift online.
Confidence also falls sharply with age. Among respondents aged 80 and over, only 11% said they would feel confident using the app to get help or book an appointment. In a borough where a significant proportion of residents are older adults, this is not a niche concern.
We also asked whether people would use the app to give feedback on their care. Over a third said no. The most common reason wasn't about usability, it was about trust. People are sceptical that digital feedback will be read, acted on, or make any real difference. Fifteen respondents said they would prefer to give feedback to an independent organisation like Healthwatch. That finding matters particularly given current proposals to close local Healthwatch organisations.
Why this matters for Redbridge specifically
Redbridge is one of London's most diverse boroughs, with an estimated 35% of residents digitally excluded and 24.5% speaking English as a second language. The NHS App is only available in English. These aren't temporary barriers that will go away as technology becomes more familiar, they're structural realities that require real investment and local solutions.
A digital-first approach that doesn't protect non-digital alternatives, or invest in proper support, risks leaving behind the people who already face the greatest barriers to healthcare.
What we're asking for
Our report makes five recommendations to NHS England, the NHS App Research and Development Team, the ICB and GP practices. In summary, we're asking them to: keep the app optional and maintain non-digital routes; improve accessibility, including full translation into Redbridge's main community languages; provide practical in-person and multilingual training and support; increase transparency about how feedback is used; and raise awareness of features that are currently underused.
Read the full report
You can read our full findings, including the data, resident quotes and all five recommendations, in the report below. If you have your own experience of using, or trying to use, the NHS App, we'd love to hear from you.
