Overview

• The new service, delivered through the NHS App, will let GPs refer patients for video consultations with specialists nationwide, manage prescriptions, and book scans or procedures at local diagnostic centres or hospitals.
• NHS England projects the programme could provide the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments in its first three years.
• Initial rollout targets a small number of planned treatment areas with the longest waits, with remote care offered only where clinicians judge it safe and expansion planned over time.
• NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will work with clinical staff and unions on delivery, scaling existing pilots and tools such as virtual triage, AI and remote monitoring.
• Supporters highlight potential gains in access and waiting times, while urging clear funding, strong data protections and measures to avoid digital exclusion, with in-person options remaining available.