Patients across England are on the brink of a digital health revolution, as the National Health Service (NHS) rolls out dozens of ambitious pilot schemes designed to bring specialist care directly to people’s homes through the NHS App. Announced on November 7, 2025, the initiative encompasses 45 pilots across 37 NHS trusts, with the government projecting that the changes could free up around 500,000 hospital appointments every year once fully operational. The move is widely seen as a significant step in modernizing healthcare, easing pressures on hospitals, and making care faster, more accessible, and tailored to individual needs.
The heart of the plan is simple, but powerful: enable patients to self-report vital health information—such as blood pressure, oxygen levels, and symptoms—using digital tools on the NHS App. This approach, officials believe, will allow many routine check-ins and monitoring tasks to be handled remotely, negating the need for countless in-person visits. For patients managing long-term conditions, it means routine tests can be done locally, with results reviewed by specialists from afar. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, this is part of a broader push to bring care closer to home, especially as the NHS braces for the increased demand that winter often brings.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been vocal about the government’s commitment to delivering what he calls "care fit for the 21st century." In his words, "This is a government that puts the NHS and patients first as our record investment in the service shows. Using tech to bring care closer to home frees up hospital appointments for those who truly need them and makes life simpler for everyone. That’s our mission: care that’s easier, faster, and always within reach." He also highlighted that NHS Online will digitally connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere in England, further easing pressures on busy hospitals and stretched staff.
The 45 pilot schemes are focusing on five key specialisms where remote monitoring and digital communication could have the biggest impact: ear, nose, and throat (ENT); gastroenterology; respiratory medicine; urology; and cardiology. In practice, patients will be able to complete digital forms and questionnaires via the NHS App, often replacing the need for a hospital visit unless it’s clinically necessary. For instance, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust is introducing digital pre-appointment questionnaires for patients with suspected respiratory conditions. This innovation is expected to speed up initial appointments and reduce unnecessary follow-ups, allowing more patients to be treated within 18 weeks—a target that’s been challenging for many trusts to meet in recent years.
In Leeds, there’s a special focus on men who have previously been treated for prostate cancer. Through the pilot, these patients can provide regular health updates, book appointments, and message clinicians directly from the NHS App. The aim is to spot potential recurrences or progression of cancer earlier, provide more personalized support, and reduce the number of missed or clinically unnecessary appointments. Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, called the development "really exciting," adding, "This shows the NHS is harnessing technology to enable more personalised support and gives men the power to navigate this complex disease, a mission we are passionate about at Prostate Cancer UK."
Elsewhere, the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is leveraging the app to tackle a perennial problem: missed appointments. By allowing patients to outline access needs—such as transport or interpreters—before their visit, the trust hopes to make attendance easier and more predictable for everyone involved.
For those living with complex, life-limiting conditions, the digital transformation could be even more profound. The NHS is launching a world-first clinical trial to support people with motor neurone disease (MND) using remote monitoring technology. Backed by £1.7 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the trial will involve over 250 patients and is led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Sheffield. The focus is on remotely monitoring and adjusting portable ventilators—an essential therapy for many people with MND, who often struggle with movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing.
Dr Esther Hobson, honorary consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and senior lecturer in neurology at the University of Sheffield, expressed enthusiasm about the project: "We’re making the most of existing technology to make it as easy as possible for NHS staff and their patients to get the benefits without extra burden. We’re especially interested in the experiences of people who find it hard to access NHS care to make sure everyone can get the benefits." Sally Hughes, director of services and partnerships at the MND Association, echoed this sentiment, noting, "Increased support and digital monitoring will make it easier for people with MND to choose to receive expert care from the comfort of their own homes – reducing the burden of travel and helping them live better for longer."
According to Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and chief executive of the NIHR, "Funding world-class research into conditions such as Motor Neuron Disease helps build the evidence needed to improve care and leads to better treatments in the future. This work also supports the shift towards more care delivered closer to home, with digital tools offering more convenient access for patients, freeing up staff time and helping to reduce pressure on services."
Ian Eardley, national clinical director for elective care at NHS England, summed up the broader vision: "Right across the country the NHS is harnessing the latest technology to ensure people can get the care they need more quickly and conveniently, and closer to home. Remote monitoring enables vital information to be shared more easily and efficiently between patients and their health teams – allowing people to get the support they need without an unnecessary trip to hospital."
The government’s Plan for Change, which underpins these pilots, is part of a wider effort to move the NHS from an analogue to a digital era. Recent achievements include more than five million extra appointments delivered in the past year, millions more tests and scans provided closer to home, and the announcement of NHS Online, which is expected to facilitate up to 8.5 million specialist appointments via the NHS App over its first three years.
As winter looms and healthcare systems worldwide brace for seasonal pressures, England’s NHS is betting big on technology to keep people healthier and out of hospital unless absolutely necessary. The hope is not just to free up appointments, but to make the entire experience of care more personal, efficient, and humane. For patients and clinicians alike, this could mark the start of a smarter, more responsive NHS—one that’s truly within reach for everyone.
