Overview

• The planned service would connect patients to specialist clinicians through the NHS App for video consultations, clinical advice and prescription management.
• Users could be referred for scans and tests and book procedures at nearby hospitals, surgical hubs or community diagnostic centres via the app.
• Patients would keep the choice of in-person care at local hospitals, with digital capacity intended to shorten waits for face-to-face appointments.
• Rollout would prioritise high-demand treatments first and expand over time, building on local innovations such as Barking, Havering and Redbridge’s virtual triage.
• NHS Providers chief Daniel Elkeles welcomed the concept but warned about patient data handling, digital exclusion, the need for new funding and ensuring it operates as an NHS service with NHS staff.