On September 30, 2025, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took to the stage at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool with a bold promise: by 2027, England will see the launch of an NHS 'online hospital' service, a digital leap intended to slash waiting times and modernize healthcare delivery for millions. This initiative, dubbed NHS Online, is designed to connect patients to specialist clinicians through the NHS App, offering a digital alternative to traditional outpatient care and freeing up in-person services for those who need them most.
"A new world is coming," Sir Keir declared, according to The Independent. "In decades to come, I want people to look back on this moment as the moment we renewed the NHS for a new world." The prime minister’s vision is clear: NHS Online will not just be a technological upgrade, but a fundamental shift in how healthcare is delivered and experienced in the UK.
The scale of the ambition is striking. NHS Online is projected to deliver up to 8.5 million extra appointments and assessments in its first three years—about four times more than what an average NHS trust currently manages, according to BBC News. Patients will be able to opt for online assessments, check-ups with consultants, and follow-up appointments, all from the comfort of their home. Those who need physical tests or procedures can book them at local hospitals, surgical hubs, or community diagnostic centres, seamlessly through the NHS App.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast he was "really excited" about the new virtual hospital, emphasizing its potential to modernize the NHS and help it "move with the times." He pointed to successful pilot schemes already running in places like University Hospital Southampton and Moorfields Eye Hospital. In Southampton, a virtual follow-up service for low-risk inflammatory bowel disease patients managed to reduce waiting times by an impressive 58%, with three-quarters of patients able to receive care remotely during flare-ups. Meanwhile, Moorfields Eye Hospital’s virtual system for non-emergency eye referrals allowed more than half of patients to be treated in routine clinics, bypassing the need for specialist intervention.
Streeting also highlighted the flexibility and convenience the system could offer: "Some of us, like myself, much prefer to see someone over the screen or over the phone, rather than take time off work if I can possibly avoid it. There’ll be others who will want face-to-face care, and we should always safeguard that," he told LBC Radio. The health secretary assured the public that the new service would free up capacity for those who prefer or require in-person consultations, alleviating pressure on stretched hospital resources.
Patients using NHS Online will have access to a suite of digital tools. They’ll be able to track and order prescriptions, book scans and tests, and receive clinical advice—all without setting foot in a hospital. When a physical procedure is necessary, the app will refer them directly to the nearest hospital, surgical hub, or diagnostic centre. The aim, according to Sir Keir, is to put "patients in control" and cut waiting times for everyone in the country. "That’s national renewal, that’s a Britain built for all," he said in his conference speech.
The move is rooted in lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced rapid digital innovation across the NHS. As Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, explained to The Independent, "The way the NHS provides outpatient services hasn’t changed much for decades, but during Covid we learned a lot about opportunities for new approaches using digital technology." Elkeles called the online hospital a "very significant development," but cautioned that careful planning is essential: "There are a lot of factors to consider. These include the handling of patient data and the need to avoid ‘digital exclusion’ of people who can’t access the service."
Indeed, concerns about digital exclusion and patient safety are front and center for NHS leaders. NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey described the initiative as "a huge step forward for the NHS," promising that it would deliver millions more appointments by the end of the decade and give patients more control over their care. But he also emphasized that the online hospital would only be rolled out in areas where it is considered safe, and that it would be staffed by NHS professionals with new funding to support the transition.
Dr. Becks Fisher of the Nuffield Trust think tank echoed the need for caution, calling the plan "an interesting experiment" but noting that "detail is largely lacking" at this stage. She raised practical questions: "Where will the doctors and nurses for this service be taken from? And how will they pass patients who need care from digital to physical services? This service will only be safe and suitable for certain patients. How will we make sure it is kept to them?"
The phased rollout, scheduled to begin in 2027, will initially focus on specialties with high numbers of patients who rarely need inpatient treatment, such as ophthalmology, gynaecology, and digestive conditions. For each area, only patients deemed suitable for remote management will be included, with strict safeguards to ensure safety and quality of care. NHS sources told BBC News that the identification of appropriate patients will be a key challenge, and that only those areas where an online service is considered safe will be included in the new offer.
The digital push extends beyond the online hospital. On October 1, 2025, a new online GP appointment booking system will be rolled out across England, allowing patients to request same-day GP appointments or clinician calls online throughout the day. This system is designed to end the notorious '8am scramble' for appointments and bring "general practice into the 21st Century," as Streeting put it. However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that the new booking system could cause confusion and potentially lead to serious health problems being missed if not implemented carefully.
For the government, the digital hospital represents a core theme in the 10-year NHS plan published over the summer. Sir Keir Starmer was unequivocal in his message: "The responsibility of this party is not just to celebrate the NHS, it's to make it better." The hope is that by industrializing the latest technology and innovations, the NHS can finally break free from the bottlenecks and backlogs that have long plagued it, while keeping patients at the heart of the system.
As the NHS prepares for its digital future, the road ahead will not be without bumps. The challenge will be to harness the promise of technology without leaving vulnerable patients behind or destabilizing vital in-person services. But if the pilot schemes and early successes are anything to go by, the online hospital may just be the leap the NHS needs to meet the demands of a new era.
