As part of the health service’s 10-year plan, the NHS App is set to become the entry point to an online hospital that, by 2027, will start connecting patients digitally to expert clinicians anywhere in England.
Called NHS Online, the digital health service is being designed so patients can be seen faster and to enable NHS clinicians to triage them via the NHS App. NHS England said patients will also be able to book scans at local community diagnostic centres.
Since it was introduced in 2019, millions of patients have used the NHS App to manage their care. Through enhanced app functionality, when a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for their specialist care. They will then be able to book directly through the NHS App and have the option to see specialists from around the country online, without leaving their home or having to wait longer for a face-to-face appointment.
If a patient needs a scan, test or procedure, NHS England said the app will enable them to book this at a time that suits them at a community diagnostic centre close to home. They will be able to track their prescriptions and get advice on managing their condition without needing to travel.
NHS England said NHS Online will improve patient waiting times, delivering the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years – four times more than an average trust – while enhancing patient choice and control over their care.
The service will initially be rolled out to cover a small number of planned treatment areas with the longest waits. Over time, NHS England said it will expand to more treatment areas.
The NHS 10-year health plan aims to shift the health service from analogue to digital, using technology to help deliver patient services.
The service builds on and scales the artificial intelligence (AI) and remote monitoring already in use across the NHS.
Discussing the new service, Jim Mackey, NHS chief executive, said: “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.”
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 Jim Mackey, NHS
Mackey described NHS Online as a huge step forward for the health service, which he said would deliver millions more appointments by the end of the decade and offer a real alternative for patients.
“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,” he added.
Before NHS Online goes live, the NHS said it will learn from existing research on patient experience of online care over the past five years and build this into the programme as it develops. The programme is being developed with a commitment to patient partnership in design and delivery.
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.”
