Patients Receive Cancer and Other Serious Diagnoses via NHS App and Phone Calls

Patients have been told they have cancer via the NHS app and over the phone. Individuals have also discovered they suffer from chronic and terminal illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and chronic kidney disease through online platforms, video consultations and phone conversations. Campaigners have accused the NHS of failing in its fundamental duty of care.

They are urging the health service to deliver serious diagnoses in person. Two mothers told the Telegraph they had separately learned through telephone calls that their children had been diagnosed with rare muscle-wasting conditions. The growing reliance on digital communication has left patients without immediate access to medical professionals who could answer their questions or provide support.

Steve, a patient from London, received his early-onset Parkinson's disease diagnosis in April 2023 after discovering the results on the NHS app's test results page. Another Parkinson's patient, Dawn, learned of her condition four days after undergoing tests when she read correspondence between the hospital and her GP that had been uploaded to the app.

Dawn had no appointment with a neurologist scheduled for another 12 months.

This left her without specialist guidance following the life-changing discovery. Richard Carder, a 69-year-old retired police officer from Devon, discovered he had chronic kidney disease in June 2024 after checking his annual health check results on the app.

Having heard nothing from his GP, he researched what his elevated creatinine levels indicated and concluded he likely had the condition, which involves irreparable kidney damage.

He arranged a GP appointment for three weeks later but received a text message that Friday confirming the diagnosis. This left him without professional support over the weekend. "I did panic in some ways, which is why I went on to 'Dr Google'.

It was foolish but it was the only way I could get information," he told the Telegraph. When Mr Carder contacted his GP surgery, the receptionist dismissed his concerns, telling him he should not worry because chronic kidney disease was common. "She was quite blasé and there was a little lack of compassion," he recalled.

Diagnostic reports such as brain scans and cancer screenings are now being uploaded to patient records simultaneously with their transmission to consultants, often before any appointment can be arranged. Patients have described receiving life-altering information without immediate clinical support or the chance to ask questions in person.

Campaigners have called for changes to ensure such diagnoses are conveyed face-to-face. The NHS has acknowledged the preferred method for delivering sensitive results.