England’s NHS is taking a bold step into the digital age, with plans to launch its first fully online hospital. Known as NHS Online, the project aims to transform how patients access care and ease mounting pressures on the health service.
What is NHS Online?
From 2027, patients will be able to log in from home to see specialist clinicians based anywhere in the country. They’ll be able to book scans at convenient times, track prescriptions through the NHS App, and manage their treatment journey digitally from start to finish. In its first three years alone, NHS Online is expected to deliver up to 8.5 million specialist appointments – four times the output of an average NHS trust – focusing first on planned treatments with the longest waits.
How NHS Online will work
The process will feel familiar: patients will still be referred by their GP, but from there they’ll have the option to schedule appointments directly. Scans, tests and procedures can be booked closer to home at Community Diagnostic Centres, reducing the need for long hospital trips. The initiative is part of the government’s 10-Year Health Plan to speed up the NHS’s digital transformation, building on existing innovations such as AI tools and remote monitoring already used by millions.
Step towards digital transformation
“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,” said Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive, NHS. “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.”
Patient organisations call for inclusivity
Patient organisations have cautiously welcomed the move. Rachel Power, Chief Executive, The Patient’s Association, described it as “a promising step towards enhancing accessible care and shorter waits for digitally confident patients”. But Jacob Lant, CEO, National Voices, sounded a note of caution: “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.”
Benefits for clinicians and the wider NHS
If successful, NHS Online could become a valuable complement to traditional hospitals, freeing up capacity and giving clinicians more flexibility in managing their time. It could also spread care more evenly across the country, helping to reduce local waiting list pressures. But experts agree that the project will only succeed if patient partnership and inclusivity are built in from the start – ensuring that in the drive towards digital, no one is left behind.
