NHS ‘online hospital’ to open by 2027 for patients in England

The NHS is launching an ‘online hospital’ which will digitally connect patients to expert clinicians across England, Keir Starmer will announce today.

NHS Online will be rolled out over the parliament, with the first patients using the service from 2027, the prime minister will tell the Labour Party Conference. 

Patients will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for specialist care and teams will triage patients through the NHS App, allowing them to book scans at Community Diagnostic Centres.

The service is hoped to deliver up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years – four times more than an average trust.

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive at NHS England, said: “This is a huge step forward for the NHS and will deliver millions more appointments by the end of the decade, offering a real alternative for patients and more control over their own care.

“Patients who choose to receive their treatment through the online hospital will benefit from us industrialising the latest technology and innovations, while the increased capacity will help to cut demand and slash waiting times.

“The NHS can, must and will move forward to match other sectors in offering digital services that make services as personalised, convenient, and flexible as possible for both staff and patients.”

NHS Online will build on existing virtual pathways at University Hospital Southampton, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Initially it will focus on a small number of planned treatment areas with the longest waits, which will be expanded to more treatment areas.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said that the service could be “a very significant development” but “should not come at the cost of destabilising vital services patients will continue to rely on”.  

“It’s sensible they are taking the time to plan this properly because there are a lot of factors to consider.

“These include the handling of patient data and the need to avoid “digital exclusion” of people who can’t access the service,” he added.

Rachel Power, chief executive of The Patient’s Association, said: “NHS Online is a promising step towards enhancing accessible care and shorter waits for digitally confident patients.

“This model has real potential to cut waiting times and connect patients with expert care more quickly. 

“We’re pleased to see patient partnership built into the programme and it will be vital that patients shape the design and delivery of this online hospital.”

NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care will work with clinical staff and their unions on how to deliver the new model of care.

Dr Jeanette Dickson, chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said: “This is a novel and potentially game changing way of improving equity and speed of access to NHS services, which would reduce health inequalities.

“Obviously, we need to make sure that those who aren’t digitally enabled are not penalised in any way, but if this approach can be delivered safely and effectively, freeing up capacity in bricks and mortar hospitals at the same time then it could potentially be a really good thing.”