The NHS is rolling out its first virtual hospital, using the NHS App to connect patients with specialists, AI-powered triage, and faster access to tests
The NHS has announced its first virtual hospital, a groundbreaking move in digital healthcare designed to give patients more control than ever. Powered through the NHS App, the service will utilise AI-driven triage to connect people directly with the right specialists, reduce waiting times, and enable scans, referrals, and consultations to be booked in just a few taps. By 2027, this virtual hospital promises to transform patient-centred care across England, setting a new standard for the future of healthcare.
Improving patient waiting times and delivering more appointments
When a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option to be referred to the online hospital for specialist care, which can be booked through the NHS app. The patient will be able to consult with specialists from around the country online, without leaving their home or waiting longer for a face-to-face appointment.
If they need a scan, test, or procedure, patients can book it for a time that suits them at a Community Diagnostic Centre closer to home. They will be able to track their prescription and receive advice on managing their condition from the comfort of their own home.
NHS Online, a virtual hospital concept, aims to improve patient waiting times by delivering up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in the first three years, which is four times more than the average trust.
The initial focus will be on a small number of planned treatment areas with the longest wait times, and this will eventually be expanded to include more treatment areas.
Shifting from analogue to digital, virtual hospitals
As part of the 10 Year Health Plan, the UK Government is moving from analogue to digital healthcare, and a virtual hospital achieves this.
Initially, the virtual hospital will build and scale tried-and-tested innovations already in place across the country, such as AI and remote monitoring. Before NHS Online goes live, the NHS will draw on existing research on patient experiences of online care over the last five years and incorporate it into the programme as it develops.
Connecting patients with specialists nationwide ensures that high-quality care is accessible to everyone, thereby reducing treatment variation and disparities. It will also help spread out demand, reducing waiting lists.
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS chief executive, said: “This is a huge step forward for the NHS and will deliver millions more appointments by the end of the decade, offering a real alternative for patients and more control over their own care.
“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.
“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.”
Jacob Lant, CEO of National Voices, said: “The NHS aims to provide free and universal healthcare, but at the moment there are plenty of people who don’t have easy access to specialist hospital care simply because of where they live in the country.
“The creation of an online hospital has the potential to fix this fundamental barrier, and by building on the wealth of patient feedback about the rollout of existing digital NHS services, there is a chance to make something genuinely transformational.
“The new service will need to dock in seamlessly with physical services for when people need tests and treatment, and it can do this by making sure patients are fully included in both the design and ongoing evaluation.
“The NHS will need to be live to the risk of digital exclusion, ensuring that people without access to technology or the right skills are supported to get the help they need. But get this right, and it could unlock vital extra capacity that benefits all patients.”
Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patient’s Association, said: “NHS Online is a promising step towards enhancing accessible care and shorter waits for digitally confident patients. This model has real potential to cut waiting times and connect patients with expert care more quickly.
“We’re pleased to see patient partnership built into the programme, and it will be vital that patients shape the design and delivery of this online hospital. While this initiative will take time to implement properly, it represents an important investment in the NHS’s future capacity alongside high-quality, in-person care.”
Louise Ansari, Chief Executive of Healthwatch England, said: ‘We welcome this model, which offers the prospect of patient referrals being triaged more quickly and some patients getting scans and diagnostic tests sooner.
‘It is also welcome that the government has committed to working with Healthwatch and patient groups on its delivery.
‘It will be key, for example, that all patients have an equal opportunity to benefit, not just those who are tech-savvy. The public will need clear communication about how to benefit and access from this scheme – including support, if required, to sign up to and use the NHS App. And digitally excluded people will need reassurances that their local physical hospital remains a good option for their care.’
Dr 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.’
