The Prime Minister will announce plans for a new virtual hospital to create millions of new appointments and help cut waiting lists, as he will declare a ‘new world is coming’ – and we want to hear your thoughts
Keir Starmer will unveil plans for a new ‘online hospital’ in a bid to crackdown on lengthy waiting lists, and we want to know if you think the PM can save the NHS with the digital service.
At the Labour conference in Liverpool today, Starmer will set out plans for NHS Online which will connect patients with specialist doctors through the NHS App. The reshaped system, which will be introduced in 2027, will reportedly deliver 8.5million appointments in the first three years, slashing waiting lists for treatment.
According to NHS sources, these could include digestive conditions, ophthalmology and gynaecology. Starmer will declare a “new world is coming” during Tuesday’s speech, adding: “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 digital service will see patients get referred for scans and tests, receive clinical advice, and access prescriptions without stepping outside. High priority treatments with long waiting lists will be targeted first, with the scheme expanded to more conditions over time.
Patients will still be able to see a doctor at their local hospital if they prefer, but the new service is designed to cut waits for in-person appointments by diverting those who want to use the app from the queue. The PM will tell Labour’s annual conference: “The responsibility of this party is not just to celebrate the NHS, it’s to make it better.
“A new chapter in the story of our NHS, harnessing the future, patients in control. Waiting times cut for every single person in this country. That’s national renewal, that’s a Britain built for all.”
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed his excitement for the new online hospital, hailing that it has “been proven to work” in some hospitals. He said: “It’s basically about modernising the NHS, helping it to move with the times.”
NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said the scheme would “deliver millions more appointments by the end of the decade, offering a real alternative for patients and more control over their own care”. It will build on innovations, such as a virtual triage system in Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust which sped up referrals for specialist care as well as discharges from hospital.
It comes after Labour highlighted digital innovation as one of the key themes in the 10-year NHS plan, which was published in July. The plans were described as an “interesting experiment” by Dr Becks Fisher from Nuffield Trust think tank, but she added: “At this stage detail is largely lacking.
“And there are some difficult questions looming about implementation. 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?”
Following the latest announcement, we want to know if you think Starmer can save the NHS with online appointments. Vote in our poll HERE to have your say. The Mirror will also be discussing the topic with you in the comments section below and you can join in! All you have to do is sign up, submit your comment, register your details and then you can take part.
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