Major update to NHS app will let patients sign up to trial cutting-edge treatments

Millions of people will be able to sign up for life-changing clinical trials using the NHS app.

Patients will have the chance to search for projects on their smartphone, giving them the chance to benefit first from potentially ground-breaking new treatments.

The move is designed to turbo-charge clinical research to give patients access to cutting edge medicines and speed up development of new treatments.

Eventually the NHS app will automatically match patients with studies based on their own health data and interests, sending a notification to someone's phone about relevant new trials.

It comes as part of a nationwide push to get more people to sign up to research to develop the medicines of the future.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The NHS App will become the digital front door to the NHS, and enable all of us as citizens to play our part in developing the medicines of the future.

“The British people showed they were willing to be part of finding the vaccine for Covid, so why not do it again to cure cancer and dementia?"

Adults across the country are being urged to get involved, particularly underrepresented groups including young people, Black people and people of South Asian heritage.

NHS trusts will also be ordered to submit data on the number of trials they are doing and progress made.

Government investment will be prioritised towards trusts that are performing, the Department of Health said.

It takes around 250 days to set up a clinical trial in the NHS, compared to only 100 days in Spain.

Ministers are aiming to slash the wait to 150 days or less by March 2026 by cutting unnecessary bureaucracy to create a nationalised standard contract.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR, said: "We know the benefits of embedding clinical research across the NHS and beyond.

"It leads to better care for patients, more opportunities for our workforce and provides a huge economic benefit for our health and care system.

"Integrated into the NHS App, the NIHR Be Part of Research service enables members of the public to be matched to vital trials, ensuring the best and latest treatments and care get to the NHS quicker."

Dr Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, said: “The NHS App is transforming how people manage their healthcare, with new features letting them see their test results or check when prescriptions are ready to collect – all at the tap of a screen.

“We're making it easier to sign up for clinical trials through the NHS App so patients can access new treatments and technologies earlier, improving their quality of care.”