NHS App & NHS login

Using NHS login to access PKB directly 

Patients over 16 can both register and log in to PKB using their NHS login, this includes users without an existing record so they can use NHS login to verify their identity & create a PKB record. 

Creating an NHS login

If you do not have an existing NHS login, you will be prompted to create one after entering your email from the NHS login sign in page. NHS Digital have published a video and step by step guide on how patients can do this here 


How to sign into PKB directly using your NHS login

This step by step guide is for patients with a registered Patients Know Best record. 


How to register to PKB directly using your NHS login

This step by step guide is for patients who wish to register for a new or existing Patients Know Best record. Patients must be over 16 years old to register via NHS Login.


How to self-register from a team registration page 

This guide is for patients who wish to register for a new or existing Patients Know Best record from a specific team's registration page. Patients must be over 16 years old to register via NHS Login. 


Accessing PKB from the NHS App

Patients can access parts of their PKB record from within the NHS App and can use NHS login’s encrypted single sign-on to do so. This option is currently only available to users on a regional basis where the region has specified that PKB is their Patient Held Record (PHR) provider. 

This allows patients to access the same PHR data inside the NHS App interface, for a more seamless and joined-up NHS experience. 

Currently, the Events & Messages, Appointments, Medicines, Plans, Tests, Imaging, Symptoms, Measurements, Journal, Library & Sharing pages can all be accessed from within the NHS App.  

Patients can change their language at the bottom of each page.

The following areas have the full PKB & NHS App integration enabled:

How to register for PKB from the NHS App 

1. Log into NHS App with NHS login

2. Enter your NHS login details (email & password)

3. Enter security code

4. Click on any PKB jump-off point such as 'Test results & imaging' found under the 'Your health' section

5. Click continue to access PKB

6. Agree to share your NHS login information with PKB

7. Complete PKB registration form which includes setting up your password & security question & click 'Next' at the bottom of the page. 

8. Arrive in PKB & review sharing settings, click 'continue' and then 'save' on the last page. You will then be taken to the PKB jump-off you selected in step 4.

9. Registration complete - Welcome to Patients Know Best!

Once registered, you will be taken to the area of PKB you selected to go to from the NHS App. 

A welcome email will be sent to your email address. 

You no longer have to manually sign in when navigating to PKB from the NHS App, your NHS login can now do this for you. 

You can also log in directly to PKB from a web browser using your email address & the password you just created.  

How to set up Single Sign On to PKB from the NHS App

1. Log into NHS App with NHS login

2. Enter your NHS login email

3. Enter NHS login password

4. Enter the security code sent to your phone

5. Click on any PKB jump-off point such as 'Test results and Imaging' found under the  'Your health' section

6. Click continue to access PKB

7. Agree to share your NHS login information

8. Arrive in PKB 

Accessing PKB Events & messages  

2. Click on 'Your hospital and specialist doctors'

3.  Click 'Continue'


4. You will land on the PKB Events & messages page


Accessing PKB Library 

3.   Click 'Continue'

4.  You will land on the PKB Library page

Accessing PKB appointments

3.  Scroll to the bottom of the page & click on 'Additional appointment information'

4.  Click 'Continue'

5.  You will land on the PKB main 'Appointments' page

Appointment messaging 

Some organisations offer appointment messaging, this allows you to send secure messages to reschedule or cancel your appointment to the appointments team. If your organisation offers this service, you will see the option to request to reschedule or cancel your appointment when you click on the three dots at the top right of your appointment.  You can read more about appointment messaging here 

Accessing PKB Wayfinder appointments 

The NHS App is working with acute NHS Trusts to enable patients to securely view summary details of their referrals and scheduled appointments within the NHS App. If your Trust is taking part in this programme (Wayfinder), you will find any upcoming appointments from that trust in the NHS App in the Appointments section. If the appointment is stored in PKB, you can access more detailed information for that appointment by clicking on the ‘View or manage this appointment’ button. 

The acute trusts that are part of this programme are: 

3. Click on 'View or manage this appointment' for any appointment

4. If the appointment is from PKB, you will be directed to PKB. Click 'Continue'

5. You will land on the PKB 'View appointment' page

Wayfinder appointment messaging 

Some organisations offer appointment messaging, this allows you to send secure messages to reschedule or cancel your appointment to the appointments team. If the organisation that added the appointment offers this service, you will see buttons to reschedule or cancel your appointment.  You can read more about appointment messaging here 

No appointments to view

If the source of your appointment is not part of this programme,  or you have no future appointments booked, you can still access your PKB appointments by clicking on ‘Additional appointment information’ in the ‘Other services’ section. 


Accessing PKB Plans  

2.  Click on 'Care plans'

3.  Click 'Continue'

4.  You will land on the PKB Plans page

Accessing PKB Medicines  

2. Click on 'Hospital & other medicines'

3.  Click 'Continue'

4.  You will land on the PKB Medicines page

Accessing PKB Symptoms 

3. Click on 'Track your symptoms'

4.  Click on 'Symptoms'

5. You will land on the PKB Symptoms page

Accessing PKB Measurements  

3. Click on 'Track your symptoms'

4.  Click on 'Measurements'

5. You will land on the PKB 'Measurements' page

Accessing PKB Journal 

3. Click on 'Track your symptoms'

4.  Click on 'Journal'

5. You will land on the PKB 'Journal' page

Accessing PKB Tests 


2. Click on 'Test results and imaging'

3.  Click on 'Test results'

4. You will land on the PKB Tests page

Accessing PKB Imaging 


2. Click on 'Test results and imaging'

3.  Click on 'Imaging reports'

4. You will land on the PKB Imaging results page

Accessing PKB Sharing - Professionals 

2. Click on 'Your health choices'


3.  Click on 'Share records with your team'

4. You will land on the PKB Professionals page

Notifications from PKB in the NHS App 

Notifications about new messages 

Patients receive native smartphone notifications from the NHS App when there are new messages for them in PKB. 

Patients receive these notifications for new activity in the Events & messages section, which includes messages from their professionals, new documents, information on hospital visits and consultations (questionnaires).

The patient can read their message from within the NHS App by tapping on the notification

To learn how to manage NHS App notifications, see https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/nhs-app-help-and-support/nhs-app-account-and-settings/managing-nhs-app-notifications/ 



Troubleshooting

If you see this error screen it means the details on your NHS login do not match those on your PKB record so we were unable to link your accounts. 

Contact our support desk with the reference provided on the screen to troubleshoot.  

If you see this error screen it means your registration is complete but your organisation need to activate your record 

A clinician or administrator from any organisation with access to your record simply needs to log in to the system to activate your account, when this is complete, we will send you an email to you to let you know. 

If you see this error screen, it means the email linked to your NHS login is attached to a record in PKB already, which is not a patient record.  

 Please note that the NHS login is only to be used in conjunction with a patient record. You will need to make sure the email on your NHS login is not the same email used for your PKB professional or coordinator role so you can link it to your patient record. 

If you see this error screen, it means your NHS login details have changed since they were originally paired with PKB & the connection needs to be reset. Click on the link to reset the connection. 

 Users who have updated or changed their NHS login credentials  will be shown this screen which allows them to reconnect their NHS login to PKB to re-enable Single Sign On.

If you see this error screen, it means your clinical team has marked your record for no access. 

Please contact the clinical teams with access to your record to find out why you are unable to access. 

If you see this error screen, it means your registered GP practice is not in an area where NHS login can be used to log in to PKB. 

This may be a temporary restriction. Please use your existing PKB username and password to log in., or contact your clinical team if you have not yet registered and they can invite you via email. 

Age restrictions 

If a patient is aged 16 or over, they can claim or create a PKB record using NHS login, however if the Patient is under 16, PKB are unable to determine whether the user is mature enough to claim their account and will therefore prevent them from doing so. These patients will see a warning message when they try and access PKB from the NHS App which reads 'You are too young to register: Patients must be 16 or over to register for this service (Patients Know Best) using their NHS login.' 


Patients under 16 will need to be invited to claim their record by a healthcare professional who can assess whether they have sufficient maturity and capacity to make decisions relating to their health care. If a professional has already given the patient access, they can use NHS login to access their record. 

Proxy access in the NHS App 

Proxy access in the NHS App currently only relates to the GP services, as they offer the ability to do proxy. When "proxying" all other services such as Patients Know Best are shuttered off / hidden and therefore will not be accessible.

Custom log in page

Organisations using Patients Know Best (PKB) might choose to use a custom PKB log in page. This allows them to have a login page with their own customised branding, artwork & links for users. 

 If you (a patient) choose to register using your NHS login from an organisation's custom log-in page and you do not have an existing PKB record, you will be asked whether you are a patient of that organisation in the registration form

If you select yes, you will be added to the team, which means you can access that team's resources and the team can access the parts of your record that you choose to share. 

If you select 'No', you will not be added to that team and your record will not be shared, after completing registration you will not see any teams in the sharing section & you will see the default PKB welcome message on the home page (see below) 


Default PKB welcome message: 



Welcome [Patient first NAME]

Patients Know Best is a single place to store your health information.

Start building your record

Here are some examples to get you started:

Track your health: Go to measurements

Add your emergency data: Go to medicines

Plan your care: Go to plans

Add your upcoming appointments. Go to appointments

Records from your health & social care teams 

New clinical teams are adding data to PKB every day. Meanwhile, the more data you add, the more useful your PKB record is to your clinicians.