Labor plans to digitize the NHS ‘red book’, which parents use for their children’s medical records, as part of a series of changes to the NHS app.
Parents and the NHS would be able to see via a new digital file whether children are behind on shots or checks, with automatic notifications asking them to make appointments as part of the party’s plans.
The child’s personal health file, also known as the Red Book, has been distributed to new parents for 30 years.
Previous health secretaries, including Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock, hoped to digitize it during their terms, but that has yet to happen.
Labor hopes its plans will help boost MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rates, which have fallen in recent years as measles outbreaks become more common.
Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said: “A child born today will experience the 22nd century and things we cannot imagine.
“Labor wants them to be part of the healthiest generation that has ever lived. That’s why we will digitize the Red Book so that children’s medical records are on the NHS app.
“This major step will transform children’s health care and ensure more children are protected from measles. Now the measles is back. It is difficult to think of a clearer sign of Britain’s decline under the Tories.
“The red booklet on the app allows the NHS to notify any parent of an unprotected child, give them accurate information about the MMR vaccine and invite their child to be vaccinated. That is how a modern healthcare system would address this public health crisis.”
Labor will also work to give patients more control over their own healthcare through the NHS app.
This includes accessing their medical records on their phone, notifications about screenings and vaccines they are eligible for, and being told what care to expect if diagnosed with long-term conditions such as asthma or diabetes.
Keir Starmer, the Labor leader, claimed his party would “give power to the patient” and that GPs could ensure “no time is wasted ticking boxes”.
He added: “In 2024, patients will still be waiting on the phone at 8am, or even queuing in person, just to see a doctor.
“It’s no wonder that so many people don’t make the effort or have the time, that diseases are discovered too late, that pressure on the NHS is increasing and lives are being lost.
“The app should not only be for healthcare, but also for healthier living. When you reach the right age, you will receive notifications for injections, tests and screening, so that you can detect diseases such as breast and colon cancer at an early stage.”