Herefordshire and Worcestershire launches its own health apps library

A clinical commissioning group (CCG) which serves Herefordshire and Worcestershire, has launched its own app library to provide people with access to clinically approved digital tools.

NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG’s apps library aims to help people make an informed decision about the best apps for their health and wellbeing needs.

It contains hundreds of apps that are independently reviewed and clinically accredited by a team of healthcare professionals.

Dr Ian Roper, GP IT lead for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG, said: “With the public now increasingly demanding and obtaining information and advice in the digital format, this development will allow patients across Herefordshire and Worcestershire to access trustworthy and effective health apps.

“It also gives healthcare colleagues the confidence to make recommendations, in the knowledge that these apps have been approved for use across the two counties.”

The library was created in partnership with app evaluation company ORCHA.

Research from the organisation, published in July 2020, found the NHS stamp of approval was the most important factor for clinicians when recommending apps to patients.

The team found an NHS badge for digital health and apps was “overwhelmingly” the most important factor for take-up, followed by peer opinion and personal use of the technology.