Wayfinder Funding: Enabling unified patient engagement without EPR constraints
Patient engagement
30 April 2026
By Jen
The NHS is continuing its push toward a digital-first, patient-led model, and the new Wayfinder funding for the 2026/27 financial year presents a significant opportunity for eligible providers to accelerate this transformation.
With up to £20m anticipated to be applied for in May 2026, now is the crucial time for services to align their digital strategy and secure their share of this investment.
This funding is specifically designed to drive the adoption, impact, and value of the NHS App and the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). Therefore, this will support the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
What does the Wayfinder funding cover?
The Wayfinder funding provides several key offers to help NHS organisations meet critical objectives.
The Procurement Opportunity (Offer 1)
The most direct opportunity for organisations looking to build their foundational digital connection is Offer 1: Funding to connect to the NHS App. This is specifically targeted at:
- NHS mental health trusts
- Community health service provider organisations
If your organisation does not currently have a patient engagement portal (PEP) or equivalent supplier system, this offer is designed for you. It covers up to three years’ license costs for procuring a suitable PEP or equivalent system that connects to the NHS App for referral and appointment management.
Scaling and Innovation Opportunities (Offers 2–5)
For providers already connected to the NHS App, the funding also supports scaling up existing capabilities and driving innovation. These offers include:
- Offer 2 supports adopting and scaling additional features like Documents, Notifications and Messages (N&M), Questionnaires, and patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU).
- Offer 3 supports transforming pathways, including PIFU, to help meet the 18 Week Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard.
- Offers 4 and 5 provide opportunities to pilot new NHS App features (like proxy access). Furthermore, it provides chances to use existing features in innovative ways to reduce waiting times.
Key dates and strategic milestones for requesting Wayfinder funding
The Wayfinder funding process and its underlying objectives are governed by several key timelines:
Key funding timeline:
- 30 April – Process opens for bids
- During April and May – Eligible providers should discuss proposed bids with their regional team ahead of submission. Regions will validate and review bids before national prioritisation.
- 31 May (23:59) – Deadline for bids
- May – June 2026: Funding requests from eligible organisations will be reviewed and prioritized.
- July 2026: Funding is to be released.
- End of 2027/28: All core national products and services, prioritising the deployment of e-RS APIs, must be implemented.
- March 2029: Deadline for making at least 95% of appointments available via the NHS App across all care settings.
Portasana: The ideal solution for Wayfinder objectives
Portasana – Mayden’s Patient Engagement Portal (PEP) – is a leading patient engagement portal, ready to help your organisation meet the core deliverables of the Wayfinder funding. Find out more about Portasana.
- For Offer 1 Applicants (New Procurement): Portasana provides the seamless connection required to onboard onto the NHS App for referral and appointment management.
- For Scaling and Transformation (Offer 2 & 3): Portasana is designed to facilitate the adoption of key features like waiting list validation, patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) and digital Questionnaires, which are essential for redesigning care pathways and shifting to a patient-led model.
By selecting Portasana, your organisation is strategically choosing a system that not only meets the immediate requirements for Wayfinder funding but also positions you to deliver the long-term digital transformation outcomes required by the NHS. Portasana enables you to:
- Offer your patients a single digital front door across all services. Draw data from multiple EPRs (including talking therapies) into one PEP and give your patients a singular joined up digital engagement experience
- Leverage any one or more of the 11 PEP modules that are useful for your organisation as and when you need them. Build on foundational modules as and when your Trust is ready- reducing integration and delivery risk
- Gain cash-releasing savings through reduced administrative burden
- Release clinical time by automating assessments, care pathways and supported self-management
- Improve equity and access using NHS App to engage traditionally underserved populations
Several Acute, Community and Mental Health NHS Trusts are already using Portasana, which integrates with the NHS App, providing a “digital front door” that acts as a central communication hub for patients.
Integration with EPR systems
Portasana provides seamless, two-way integration with the Access Rio Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, widely used in NHS mental health and community settings. The integration enables real-time data sharing, allowing clinicians to access updated patient information directly within Rio while patients interact with their care plans via the Portasana portal.
The platform is also interoperable with multiple EPR systems beyond Rio, including PPM+, IMS MAXIMS and others in progress to support broader clinical workflows.
Partnering with Mayden
Mayden is your go to partner for digital health solutions. We have been a trusted supplier to the NHS, charities, and private organisations for over 25 years. Our consistently high track record for support and customer service, alongside security standards that are second to none, ensures you gain a proven and reliable digital partner. Whether you are already a Mayden customer or new to us, we will support you in every way possible.
Get in touch for support with Wayfinder funding applications
With the Wayfinder identification and review process already underway this quarter, time is critical for eligible providers. So, if you are an NHS mental health trust or community health service provider organisation looking to procure a PEP, get in touch to see how we can support you in your bid.
Contact us today to discuss how Portasana could be the foundation of your successful Wayfinder funding application and digital strategy.