Please see the following article for the latest guidance on how to turn on notifications in the NHS App:
Managing NHS App Notifications
The NHS App Messaging Service
The NHS App messaging service provides a secure inbox that will allow patients to start receiving messages from health and care services such as their GP surgery via the NHS App, instead of traditional channels like SMS (text message) or letter. Patients will get a notification from the NHS App when they receive a message in their secure inbox if they have notifications enabled on their devices.
Over time, as well as GP surgeries, other health care services such as the national COVID vaccine service, or local community services, will use the NHS App to send messages to their patients. We hope that eventually, it will be the main way that citizens of England receive their healthcare messages.
Benefits to Patients
Saves Money
The NHS spends millions of pounds on SMS costs each year. NHS App messaging is available to NHS-commissioned services for free.
Safer and More Secure
Messaging via the NHS App is much more secure than other channels like SMS. SMS can be vulnerable to interception and spoofing. For patients, this means you will always know who messages come from, rather than seeing messages from unidentified mobile numbers.
Better content
When sending messages via SMS, the length is limited. NHS App messages can be longer and richer in content, for example with link texts and interactive elements.