Reliable SMS and RCS for NHS & Healthcare
QuickSMS connects your NHS systems, your staff, and your patients. Reducing no-shows, improving communication, and maintaining compliance
The biggest messaging challenges
in the NHS
Budget Constraints & Rising SMS Costs
Many NHS ICBs are being tasked with cutting SMS spend by up to 50%. Unmonitored usage, legacy contracts, and a lack of staff awareness about per message costs all contribute to overspending.
The Persistent ‘No-Show’ Challenge
SMS reminders are proven to reduce missed appointment, but many NHS budgets don’t account for the ROI of fewer no-shows. As costs are squeezed, essential messaging is often first to be cut.
The Cost of Change
You’ve found a better messaging provider, but change is stalled by procurement red tape and governance approvals. And when that’s finally done, internal dev resource is nowhere to be found.
Data and Security is everything
in the NHS
QuickSMS supports patient communications that demand the highest levels of security and compliance.
We exceed expectations on the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT), and hold ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and GDPR compliance. Trusted by NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards, we deliver secure, time-sensitive messages like appointment reminders and patient alerts, while meeting the strictest information governance standards.
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QuickSMS is ISO 27001-certified and Cyber Essentials Certified (Plus), ensuring robust protection against cyber threats and strict adherence to UK government-backed standards.
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Holding ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety) demonstrates our commitment to consistent quality, sustainability, and workplace safety.
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QuickSMS exceeded all mandatory requirements in the 2025 NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit ensuring your messages comply with NHS standards and GDPR for sensitive patient information.
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We’ve aligned our operations with the UK NCSC's 14 Cloud Security Principles, mapped directly to our ISO and Cyber Essentials Plus credentials, delivering trustworthy cloud-based messaging for regulated sectors.
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Our comprehensive certification portfolio means organisations in healthcare, government, finance, and enterprise can trust QuickSMS to deliver secure, compliant, and scalable messaging services at every step.
How to reduce your SMS costs
with RCS
You’re Paying for FIVE Messages When TWO Will Do
SMS
5 Messages
On average, appointment messages sent via SMS are split across 3.5 parts, meaning you’re paying for the equivalent of 4 separate SMS, just to get a single message delivered!
With RCS Single Message, you can deliver the same information in a single, rich message for less than the cost of 2 SMS.
Even better, RCS allows you to include a calendar invite with built-in push notifications for reminders. That means instead of sending a confirmation followed by 1–2 reminder texts, you can send just one RCS message and still achieve better patient engagement.
RCS
2 Messages
Resolving the cost of change
QuickSMS is already integrated with key clinical systems like SystmOne, with setup times of under five minutes for most ICBs. But we don’t stop there. As part of the QuickSMS Promise, we’ll work to integrate with any third-party medical platform your Trust or ICB uses, giving you complete confidence that your messaging tools will slot straight into your existing workflow.
With years of experience navigating NHS governance protocols and security requirements QuickSMS is a trusted UK-based partner for secure patient communications.
ICB Budgeting Control
Explore how QuickSMS is helping ICBs take control of rising SMS costs across GP practices and clinical departments.
Below we break down how ICBs are using centralised oversight, smart reporting to reduce overspend, improve accountability, and maintain patient engagement, all without compromising care.
How does it work?
ICB Allocated Budget
Once spent, we will charge the GP.
Switches to charge GP
QuickSMS will debit the GP
How to use QuickSMS in the NHS
QuickSMS helps GP practices, NHS trusts, and private clinics send secure SMS messages for appointment reminders, health alerts, and patient engagement, quickly, compliantly, and cost-effectively.
Appointment Reminders
Reduce no-shows with scheduled SMS confirmations and reminders for patients.
Two-Way Messaging
Let patients reply to confirm or cancel appointments directly via text – no login needed.
Clinical & Admin Alerts
Send time-critical updates: test results, prescriptions, flu jab invites, and more.
What Our Customers Say
"We trust QuickSMS with all our NHS messaging. Their compliance standards are unmatched."
Procurement Lead,
NHS Trust
What is RCS messaging?
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of patient messaging. Unlike SMS, which is limited to 160 characters of plain text, RCS allows NHS Trusts and GP practices to send branded messages with images, appointment details, interactive buttons, and verified sender information directly to a patient’s phone. No app download is required.
RCS messages display your organisation’s name and logo, helping patients distinguish legitimate NHS communications from scam texts. Appointment reminders can include tap‑to‑add calendar invites and confirmation buttons to reduce DNAs. If a patient’s phone does not support RCS, the message automatically falls back to SMS.
FAQs
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SMS sends plain text messages up to 160 characters. RCS sends richer messages with images, appointment details, interactive buttons, and verified sender branding, all within the patient’s native messaging app.
For NHS Trusts and GP practices, this means appointment reminders can include calendar invites that patients tap to add directly to their phone, confirmation buttons to reduce DNAs, and your organisation’s verified name and logo to distinguish legitimate messages from scam texts.
RCS requires no app download. Messages are delivered through the same inbox patients already use for SMS.
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Yes. QuickSMS is fully GDPR compliant and meets NHS data security requirements. We exceeded all mandatory requirements in the 2025 NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit assessment.
Our platform is ISO 27001 certified for information security, Cyber Essentials Plus accredited, and all data is hosted in the UK. We are an independent, UK‑based provider with no overseas data processing.
For NHS organisations, this means patient data remains protected under UK jurisdiction with full audit trails and contractual data processing agreements available.
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Yes. QuickSMS integrates with SystmOne, EMIS, Rio Access Group, Accurx and other clinical systems used by NHS Trusts and GP practices.
Integration is straightforward, typically taking around five minutes to configure, and allows automated appointment reminders, test result notifications, and other patient communications to be triggered directly from your existing clinical workflow.
Our API documentation is publicly available, and our UK‑based support team can assist with setup and testing.
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If a patient’s phone does not support RCS, the message automatically falls back to standard SMS. The patient still receives the communication; they simply see the plain text version instead of the rich media format.
This fallback is automatic and requires no additional configuration. You send one message; QuickSMS handles the delivery method based on device capability.
Most UK smartphones now support RCS, with coverage increasing as more handsets and networks adopt the standard.