NHS to Launch ‘Online Hospital’

Patients in England will soon be able to access specialist care through a new NHS “online hospital”, with services initially focused on menopause, prostate problems and eye conditions.

The service, known as NHS Online, is set to roll out next year and will be available through the NHS app, with a wider launch planned for 2027. It will start by covering nine common conditions that often come with long waiting times, including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, prostate enlargement, raised PSA levels, inflammatory bowel disease, iron deficiency anaemia, menopause, and menstrual problems linked to conditions such as endometriosis.

Once referred by their GP, patients will be able to choose video appointments with specialist doctors based anywhere in England. Follow-up care, monitoring and check-ups will also happen online, while any tests, scans or procedures will still take place at hospitals or clinics close to home. Face-to-face appointments will remain an option for anyone who prefers them.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the goal is to make healthcare easier to access and reduce pressure on hospitals. He said the service would “make accessing healthcare as simple as ordering a cab or a takeaway – fundamentally changing how people interact with the NHS for generations to come.” He added that people using the online route could be seen more quickly, freeing up in-person appointments for others.

NHS England believes the new service could deliver around 8.5 million appointments in its first three years, far more than a typical NHS trust. Officials hope this will help bring down waiting lists and speed up diagnosis and treatment.

Professor Stella Vig, national clinical director for elective care at NHS England, said: “The NHS’s new online hospital will see a huge shift in the way we deliver care, giving patients the option to have an online appointment with a specialist anywhere in England.” She added: “We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”

The approach builds on earlier pilots. At University Hospital Southampton, a virtual follow-up service for low-risk inflammatory bowel disease allowed most patients to be managed remotely and cut waiting times by more than half. Moorfields Eye Hospital has also used virtual systems to manage non-urgent eye referrals, helping patients get seen faster in the right setting.

Women’s health leaders have welcomed the focus on menopause and menstrual problems. Dr Sue Mann, NHS England’s national clinical director for women’s health, said: “Menstrual problems, that can be caused by conditions such as endometriosis or fibroids, or menopause symptoms, can affect every part of a woman’s life, so it’s essential that the NHS provides better access to effective treatments more quickly.”

However, some experts have raised concerns about how the service will be staffed and funded. Dr Becks Fisher from the Nuffield Trust said the idea would help some patients but warned that “tricky questions remain”, including whether NHS IT systems are ready to share information smoothly between different organisations.

The NHS has stressed that no one will be forced to use the online service and that more conditions are expected to be added over time as the system expands.