Kainos and NHS Wales Shortlisted for Prestigious HSJ Digital Awards for Groundbreaking NHS Wales App

Kainos, in collaboration with Digital Health and Care Wales, has been named a finalist in the 2025 HSJ Digital Awards—recognising outstanding contributions to digital transformation across the UK’s health and care system.

The NHS Wales App has been shortlisted in the category of “Empowering Patients through Digital”, which celebrates initiatives that use digital solutions to give patients greater control over their health and wellbeing.

The shortlisting highlights the success of the NHS Wales App, a transformational service that is empowering patients across Wales to manage their health and care more effectively. Developed in close partnership between Digital Services for Patients and the Public (DSPP) and Kainos as the lead technology partner, the App is at the forefront of Digital Health and Care Wales’ ambition to deliver more connected, user-centred digital health services.

Launched as a scalable, bilingual, and secure platform, the NHS Wales App is already being used by more than 350,000 people—a figure achieved before any formal public rollout campaign. The App allows users to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions, register organ and blood donor decisions, record health information, and view key elements of their GP health record.

This project stands out not just for its technical achievement, but for its user-centred approach. The service was co-designed with patients, clinicians, and a 5,200-member User Research Panel. Every new feature has been shaped by feedback from real users in Wales, helping to ensure accessibility, inclusion, and relevance across diverse communities.

“Kainos was both creative and efficient in its approach to delivering the NHS Wales App,” said Matt Cornish Programme Director at Digital Services for Patients and the Public. “Their deep knowledge of NHS and healthcare technology streamlined the process, and their robust user research ensured the App is accessible and intuitive for all.”

“We’re incredibly proud to be shortlisted for this award alongside NHS Wales,” said Daniel Kemp, Healthcare Sector Lead at Kainos. “The NHS Wales App is a testament to what’s possible when innovation is driven by the needs of patients and delivered through genuine collaboration. We’re excited to see how the App continues to evolve to support better outcomes for people across Wales.”

The App replaces the legacy My Health Online platform and has been rolled out to all 373 GP practices across Wales with minimal disruption. Its digital medicines feature is already improving the repeat prescription process, reducing pressure on busy GP phone lines and giving patients real-time updates from their pharmacies.

Looking ahead, the App will continue to evolve, with features in development that include hospital appointment management, test results, patient-contributed health data, and deeper integration across health and social care services.

This recognition from the HSJ Digital Awards reinforces the vital role digital innovation plays in shaping the future of health and care in Wales—and beyond.

Winners will be announced at the HSJ Digital Awards ceremony later this year.