NHS Confederation responds to government's new 'online hospital' scheme

Responding the Prime Minister's announcement of a new "online hospital" scheme which will open its virtual doors to patients from 2027, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation said: 

“NHS leaders will welcome the announcement of a new NHS online service for elective care, which will go some way to meeting demand for those patients on waiting lists for elective surgery, by improving the speed at which they are seen by a clinician and can access diagnostic scans as well as surgery.

“It will also help free up those essential services for patients with more complex needs who will need their care to be provided in person throughout their treatment journey.

“Offering this choice, through the NHS App, also aligns with the government’s 10-year health plan aspiration to move patient care from analogue to digital over the next decade.

“However, the devil will be in the detail in terms of how this service is offered to patients through the primary care front door, as well as ensuring that this does not widen the gap for those who are digitally excluded.

“Addressing workforce capacity gaps both in primary and secondary care, as well as how patient data will be used will also be important if this is model is to thrive as an addition to traditional face to face elective care.”