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Feature updates

1. Removed ‘Discuss’ feature for patients

We have removed the ‘Discuss' feature from the remaining screens in the patient user interface. In this release, we have removed the ‘Discuss' button for patients on the Allergies, Medicines and Tests pages. The ‘Discuss’ button now no longer appears anywhere in the patient UI. There has been no change to the ‘Discuss’ button in the professional UI.

2. HL7 Patient Class values mapping to FHIR Encounter Classes in the Aggregated Store

We have enhanced the Aggregated FHIR Endpoint to dynamically map incoming HL7 Patient Class (PV1-2) values from inbound SIU appointment messages to their standard FHIR Encounter Class equivalents (such as mapping ‘E’ to ‘EMER’, ‘I’ to ‘IMP’, and ‘O’ to ‘AMB’). The processed Appointment resources will now correctly feature this classification within a custom extension, ensuring accurate data representation when inspecting the aggregated store.

3. Mobile optimisation for GP data re-consent

We’ve improved the 'Remind me later' button on the GP data re-consent page for mobile users. The text is now clearer, centred, and easier to view on smaller screens.

4. New tests

We now support the following LOINC-mapped tests:

• Platelet distribution width [Entitic volume] in Blood by Automated count

• Bicarbonate [Moles/volume] in Serum or Plasma

• Kappa free light chains [Mass/volume] in Serum

• Lambda free light chains [Mass/volume] in Serum or Plasma

• Serum Kappa:Lambda light chain [Mass ratio] in Serum

You can read about how to send LOINC coded tests, including the specific codes for these tests, here.

5. Wording changes

We have changed the wording on various pages across the patient UI, including to make it clearer that their teams will not necessarily see or act on data that patients add to their record.

Bug fixes

1. Word (.docx) attachments sent via Messages not displaying in the inline viewer

We have resolved a bug which caused Word (.docx) attachments sent via Messages to fail to load in the inline viewer. Attachments are now correctly converted to PDF and display inline as expected.

2. Lab test comparators on Latest test result screen

We have resolved an issue where lab test results sent via HL7 that included comparators (<, <=, >, >=) did not display the comparator on the Latest test result screen. Comparators now correctly appear in both the summary (latest) view and the detail view for these results.

3. Duplicate messages when re-consenting for GP data with invalid credentials

We have resolved an issue where patients with invalid GP credentials were seeing conflicting messages upon consenting. Instead of showing multiple messages, the system will now only display the blue information message clarifying that the GP data could not be retrieved and a retry will occur at the next login.

Technical improvements

We are resolving performance issues that were causing API calls to the QuestionnaireResponse endpoint to timeout.

Technical improvements

We have carried out a backend refactor to unify the authorisation flows for calls made to Questionnaire, QuestionnaireResponse and ServiceRequest endpoints with the rest of our API endpoints. There will be no end user impact.

New features

1. Encounter Class information from appointment HL7 messages (SIU S12/S13/S14) now supported

Patients Know Best now supports the ingestion and storage of Encounter Class information from appointment HL7 messages (SIU S12/S13/S14). This information is read from the PV1-2.1 (Patient Class component) field, with permitted values aligned to those already used for Encounter data in ADT messages.

This enhancement enables organisations to send and persist Encounter Class alongside appointment data and improves consistency between appointment (SIU) and admission (ADT) message handling. Organisations may optionally begin populating this field. UI enhancements to display this information within appointment types will be introduced in a future release.

Feature updates

1. Removed ‘Discuss’ feature for patients

We are removing the ‘Discuss' feature from the patient user interface. In this release, we have removed the ‘Discuss' button for patients on the Measurements, Imaging, Diary Entry, Audio, Genetics, Library, Care Plans and Files screens. We will be removing the button from the remaining pages in future releases. Professionals will still see the ‘Discuss’ button on all pages.

2. Re-consenting for GP data

Patients who opted into our GP data integration prior to mid-November 2025 will see a new screen the next time they login to PKB asking them to re-consent to continue including their GP data in their record. Patients who opt to be reminded later will still receive their GP data, and will be prompted again in the future.

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Bug fixes

1. Fix to persist filters in message inbox

We have resolved an issue where selected filters were not maintained when professionals were navigating to additional pages of archived or assigned messages.

2. Attachment downloads when accessing PKB from NHS App

We have resolved an issue where attachments viewed inline could not be downloaded when accessing PKB via the NHS App.

Feature updates

1. Support for Australian national identifiers

We now support the Australian national identifiers ‘Medicare Number’ and ‘IHI (Individual Healthcare Identifier)’. To see a full list of identifiers, please see our dev wiki.

2. Updated consent options

We have updated consent screens to include additional justification criteria for non-clinical activity. This is to enable professionals and coordinators to document their justification for accessing a record when doing clinical audits or data quality reviews.

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3. Removal of validation for Canadian national identifiers

We have removed all but minimal validation for all Canadian national and provincial identifiers because these identifiers are already validated by source systems. To see a list of Canadian provincial and national identifiers and the validation applied to each, please see our dev wiki.

4. Documents shown inline on messages should open inline by default

We’ve updated the messaging experience so that when you navigate to a message containing a document, the document now opens inline automatically. This removes the extra step of having to click to open the document, making it faster and more intuitive for users to view important attachments right away.

Bug fixes

1. Message thread titles

Message thread titles in Events & Messages now support ampersands (&).

2. Prevent acceptance of non-finite numeric test result values via HL7, and handle these during FHIR migration

We’ve updated the system to reject HL7 messages that contain non-finite numeric test result values such as infinity or NaN. These values, which can occur due to mathematical anomalies like division by zero, are now explicitly blocked and will trigger a clear error message. This ensures that only valid, meaningful test results are accepted and displayed, improving data quality and preventing confusion for users. Results with these values can still be sent in textually.

3. New error message on consent screens

We have fixed an issue where professionals could click ‘Next’ without selecting an item when using ‘Ask for access’, which resulted in an error page. Users are now kept on the same page and shown an error message.

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New Features

We have replaced the existing NHS App notification workflow in which patients currently receive native smartphone notifications from the NHS App when there are new messages for them in PKB. 

PKB now sends both an NHS App message and an associated native Apple or Android push notification. 

These notifications & messages are sent for the key message types, which are:

• Documents

• Advanced Questionnaires

• New messages from professionals

The new workflow mirrors that of the existing appointment Notification & Message workflow, and each message includes a link to view the new document, questionnaire or message in PKB.

This uplift means patients now receive a permanent message in the NHS App containing a link to the corresponding activity in PKB, rather than only a temporary push notification. This improvement makes it easier for patients to find and return to important information, even if they miss or dismiss the initial notification.

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Examples of a new document, a message from a clinician, and an advanced questionnaire in PKB accessed from inside the NHS App

User Journey

• Patients receive a message in their NHS App message inbox alongside an associated push notification. 

• Clicking on the push notification will take the user through the authentication process to open the NHS app and then go straight to the message in the NHS App Messaging inbox. 

• The message contains information on the type of update received and a link to view the document, questionnaire or message from a professional. 

• Clicking on the link will take the user to the document, questionnaire or message in PKB.

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NHS App notification

 

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NHS App Message

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NHS Screen diverting to PKB

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Message inside PKB

You can read more about accessing PKB via the NHS App on our Wiki: NHS App & NHS LoginPreview

Feature updates

1. Accessibility updates

We have added enhanced accessibility features to the events and messages page. We’ve introduced accessible card lists across key pages such as appointments, inbox, and measurements. These updates ensure that card lists can now be used seamlessly with screen readers, making the platform more inclusive for users who rely on assistive technology.

On the Events & Messages page, attachment and unread indicators are now announced for screen readers, and the pagination state is clearly communicated. Pagination controls have updated aria-labels for improved navigation, making it easier for users with assistive technologies to move between message sets.

2. Homepage button change

To prioritise space for key actions on the home screen, the ‘Invite professional’ button has been removed from the patient homepage. The ‘Add an individual’ button remains available under Sharing > Professionals.

3. ‘Send message’ button change

Patients will only see the ‘Send message’ button on the homepage and Events & messages page if they have carers or are in teams with contactable professionals. This is so that patients do not see the button if they have nobody that they can message.

Bug fixes

1. Individual professional invitation delivery failures caused by "%" character

We have resolved an issue where patients were unable to send individual professional invitations if their message included the '%' character. Previously, using this character would cause the invitation email to fail. Now, invitations containing '%' are sent successfully.

2. Language selection not preserved for all languages

We have fixed an issue where the language would revert to English or French users after logging out when ‘English – Canada’ or ‘French – Canada’ were selected.