Ahead of the planned 2027 launch of NHS Online, termed the NHS’s online hospital, NHS England has shared that the service will prioritise nine common health conditions, including menopause and prostate problems, aiming to support faster access to specialised care.
Back in September, Sir Jim Mackey, NHS chief executive, noted that the NHS “must and will move forward” to match other sectors in offering digital services that are as personalised and convenient as possible, adding: “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 online service will enable triage through the NHS App, to connect patients to specialists anywhere in the country for video consultations, and will allow monitoring at home to prevent unnecessary hospital visits. According to NHSE, it is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years – “four times more than an average NHS trust”.
Innovations that have already been successfully trialled in the NHS, like digital prescriptions and online test results, will be scaled up, and patients will have the option to use NHS Online when their GP makes a referral to a specialist. Tests, scans, and procedures will be carried out closer to home, and clinicians will be able to review patient notes remotely.
Some of the conditions NHSE will focus on initially include women’s health issues such as severe menopause symptoms, endometriosis, and fibroids. Prostate conditions such as prostate enlargement and raised PSA levels will also be covered, as will iron deficiencies and inflammatory bowel disease, along with eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
Peter Thomas, consultant ophthalmologist and Moorfields Eye Hospital’s director of digital development, highlighted the success of the trust’s single point of access system for eye referrals, linking GPs and optometrists with specialists online. “With our single point of access service, we’ve been defining how a virtual hospital can support better eye care,” he said. “We’ve used technology to improve the capability and efficiency of the system, and which allows clinicians in the community and hospital services to work more closely together to streamline care. The impact is clear – patients are being seen more quickly in more appropriate settings, and the pressure on NHS services is being reduced.”
The new service echoes commitments made in the 10 Year Health Plan for England, which promised to make the NHS App a ““doctor in their pockets” for patients as a tool for access, empowerment, and care planning, creating a “full front door to the entire NHS”.
The 10 Year Plan also outlined plans to undertake a national procurement for a new platform for “proactive, planned care”, offering expanded opportunities for remote monitoring. The intention is for the platform to be available to all NHS provider organisations, offering functionality including the ability to remotely monitor patients with data flowing through the NHS App and Single Patient Record.
Wider trend: The NHS App and remote care
Back in May, NHSE published its latest roadmap for the future of the NHS App, highlighting aims to increase users’ ability to self-serve, support operational efficiency and costs, and to design the app to support health system performance indicators. The roadmap covers health records, appointments, prescriptions, integrated services, messaging, design and navigation, and platform and analytics, noting what has been completed to date, what has been worked on, and what is next for the NHS App.
In an end of year update, NHSE revealed that the NHS App has now reached more than 39 million users, with 62.3 million logins in November, and 67.8 million repeat prescriptions ordered through the app in the past 12 months. It encouraged people to use the app’s new features, including an “Amazon-style” prescription tracker that gives patients information on whether their medication is ready to be collected, and a family feature supporting parents and carers in managing their loved ones’ health.
The UK Government has launched its strategic vision for men’s health, noting plans to encourage men to take charge of their physical and mental health and wellbeing, expand access to services, and reduce inequalities. The shift to digital outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will also reflect the specific needs of men, the DHSC states, committing to exploring opportunities for men to access tailored information, support, and test booking from home via expansion of the NHS App.
