London Patients Create Care Plans via NHS App

Patients registered with a London GP practice can now draft a Universal Care Plan directly through the NHS App, expanding the digital tools available for personal health management in the capital.

New app features let patients see clinicians’ notes

Since May 13, 2026, the updated app, developed by Better in partnership with OneLondon, adds clinical sections that show what health professionals have recorded about a patient’s condition. The change is meant to boost transparency, giving users a clearer view of the medical information stored in their records.

Better’s platform supplies the digital health record and care‑planning software that powers the feature. The company says the addition should cut down on the need for patients to repeat their health history, because authorised clinicians can pull the information straight from the care plan.

“Enabling patients to directly write their own Universal Care Plans in the NHS App accelerates the path towards a more personalised health and care system,” said Ian Bennett, senior product specialist at Better. “The Universal Care Plan is about ensuring that patients’ wishes and preferences are accessible to the right clinicians at the right time.”

How the plan works and who benefits

The Universal Care Plan is a shared digital record where patients can log preferences, wishes and other non‑clinical details. Authorized health and care professionals can access the plan, supporting coordination across services. According to OneLondon, the rollout has already given “direct control of their health and care wishes and preferences for the first time” to millions of Londoners.

Tomas Ince, senior clinical transformation manager at OneLondon, called the launch “a huge milestone.” He explained that the plan was co‑designed with patients and clinicians, capturing complex personal needs beyond a simple list of diagnoses. “It opens up that more in‑depth personalised picture of a patient,” Ince said.

Current usage figures show more than 97,000 live care plans in the system, with about 30,000 views each month. The app complies with the NHS App design system and works with screen readers and keyboard navigation, aiming to be accessible for a broad user base.

The upcoming enhancements include proxy access for linked users such as parents or carers, integration with NHS Notify, and new modules for mental health crisis management, catheter care and complex geriatric assessments. These extensions are intended to further reduce administrative burdens and support the broader goals of the NHS’s ten‑year health plan.

The rollout is already live.

One potential challenge remains the need for clinicians to keep the plan up to date. If health professionals do not regularly enter information, patients may still encounter gaps, which could undermine trust in the system. Ongoing training and incentives may be required to ensure that the digital record reflects real‑time clinical insights.

Overall, the expansion of the Universal Care Plan through the NHS App represents a step toward more patient‑centered care in London. By giving individuals direct control over their health preferences and making clinicians’ notes more visible, the system aims to streamline communication and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.