Menopause care and prostate conditions are to be among the first priorities for the NHS’s new online hospital, a flagship digital reform intended to change how patients in England access specialist care.
The service, known as NHS Online, is expected to begin treating patients from 2027 and will initially focus on nine common conditions, including severe menopause symptoms, menstrual disorders linked to endometriosis or fibroids, and prostate problems such as enlargement and raised prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
Announced as part of a wider drive to modernise the health service, the online hospital will allow patients to be triaged through the NHS App, consult specialists by video and be monitored from home, reducing the need for hospital visits.
Ministers and NHS leaders say the model could help tackle long waiting lists and reduce inequalities in access to care.
Under the plans, patients whose GP refers them for specialist treatment will be able to choose NHS Online instead of a traditional hospital appointment.
While there will be no physical site, patients will be digitally connected to clinicians across England, regardless of where they live. Tests, scans and procedures will still take place at local hospitals or hubs, with clinicians reviewing results remotely.
NHS England estimates the service could deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years – around four times the annual outpatient activity of an average NHS trust.
Alongside women’s health and prostate care, the initial conditions covered will include eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as iron deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The online hospital will not replace face-to-face care, NHS leaders stressed. Patients who need physical examinations or procedures will continue to receive them in person, and those who prefer traditional appointments will still be able to access them.
Professor Stella Vig, national clinical director for elective care at NHS England, said the initiative marked “a huge shift” in how specialist care is delivered.
“By giving patients the option of an online appointment with a specialist anywhere in England, we can provide faster and more convenient access to diagnosis and treatment for conditions that can be painful and difficult to live with,” she said.
Dr Sue Mann, NHS England’s national clinical director for women’s health, said the service could be particularly transformative for women experiencing menopause or chronic menstrual problems.
“These conditions can affect every part of a woman’s life,” she said. “Being able to see a consultant from home, without waiting months for an in-person appointment, could make a real difference to daily wellbeing.”
The NHS points to existing digital services as proof of concept. At Moorfields Eye Hospital, a single point of access system already allows GPs and optometrists to refer patients online to eye specialists, helping patients be seen more quickly and easing pressure on hospital clinics.
At University Hospital Southampton, digital follow-up tools introduced by the gastroenterology team have cut waiting times by more than 60%, with the majority of patients with low-risk IBD now managed virtually.
Health leaders argue that expanding such models nationally could help bring down waiting lists while freeing up in-person appointments for those who need them most.
The government has framed NHS Online as part of a broader shift “from analogue to digital” in healthcare, promising a system that fits around people’s lives rather than forcing patients to organise their lives around appointments.
