NHS Scotland has launched its first smartphone app, marking a new era in digital health access for Scots. The MyCare.scot app is now available for download and is designed to provide users with easy access to their personal health and social care information.
Key Features of MyCare.scot
The app currently allows patients to view a range of personal health data, including medications, allergies, and vaccination history. Additionally, it helps users locate local health and wellbeing services. The Scottish Government describes this as a "significant step forward" for health, social work, and social care in Scotland.
Development and Rollout
MyCare.scot follows the launch of a web-based service that began in NHS Lanarkshire in December 2025 and started a national rollout in April 2026. While the app is now available, it will not become a fully-fledged service until 2030. Over time, it will be expanded to include features such as appointment checking, self-reporting information, and receiving digital letters.
According to the Scottish Government, once complete, MyCare.scot will be the "most comprehensive" health and care app in the UK, integrating health and social care services into a single platform.
Political Context
The SNP has faced criticism from other parties for the delayed launch of an NHS Scotland app, especially given that England has had a similar service since 2019. England's NHS app allows patients to view medical records, book appointments, and order prescriptions.
Health Secretary Angela Constance emphasized that the app was developed within the public sector to protect patient privacy and ensure value for taxpayers. She stated, "The availability of MyCare.scot on the app store is an important milestone in this Government’s programme to give people a single, secure digital access point to their personal health information."
Future Plans
The long-term delivery of MyCare.scot supports the Scottish Government's goal of establishing a national booking system within the current parliamentary term. Constance added, "Over time, MyCare.scot will make it easier to manage appointments, reduce the need for patients to retell their story, order prescriptions, and gain access to the information they need to help them stay well and supported."
Karen Reid, chief executive of Public Services Delivery Scotland, described the app as "secure and easy to use," providing a simpler way for Scots to access their health and social care information. Paul Kelly, a health and social care spokesman, called the launch a "significant step forward" and noted that work is ongoing to expand MyCare.scot into social work and social care, advancing the vision of integrated, person-centred services.
