NHS app now sends prescription-ready alerts to your phone and smartwatch across nearly 2,500 chemists

From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026.

Millions of NHS app users in England can now receive real-time notifications on their smartphones and smartwatches the moment their prescription is ready to collect. The rollout covers nearly 2,500 chemists, including every Asda and Boots pharmacy. Users must switch on push alerts in the app to benefit from the new service. Health innovation minister James Frith called it a "practical example of how digital technology can make a difference to people's everyday experience of the NHS."

The feature builds on the NHS app's 'Amazon-style' prescription tracker, which nearly 2.9 million people have already used since launching last year.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said patients had long been asking for exactly this kind of time-saving update.

Only around one in three pharmacies in England currently offers the tracking service, meaning millions of patients at the other two-thirds are still waiting for access.