Starmer to announce NHS ‘online hospital’ that will help cut waiting lists

The Prime Minister will use his leader’s speech at Labour’s conference to set out plans for NHS Online which will connect patients to specialist clinicians.

The scheme, which will begin operating in 2027, will deliver up to 8.5 million extra NHS appointments in its first three years, Labour claimed.

In his speech in Liverpool Sir Keir will say “a new world is coming” and “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 online hospital will be accessible through the NHS app and will allow patients to choose between the digital service and their local hospital.

Those who use the service will be able to access and track prescriptions, be referred for scans and tests, and receive clinical advice on managing their condition.

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Patients who require a physical test or a procedure will be able to book them on the app, at a nearby hospital, surgical hub or community diagnostic centre.

Sir Keir will describe it as “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.”

The Prime Minister will stress the need for continued NHS modernisation, insisting it is Labour’s responsibility to make the health service fit for the years to come.

Sir Keir will say: “I know how hard people work in the NHS – I see it my family – and I celebrate it at every opportunity.

“But the responsibility of this party is not just to celebrate the NHS, it’s to make it better.”

The scheme builds upon ideas already being used in some NHS trusts to reduce waiting times and allow patients to get treatment or advice quicker.

Dr Sonia Szamocki, a former NHS doctor and founder & CEO of collaborative healthcare company 32co, told LBC:

“I’ve been calling for big ideas like this within the NHS for some time. The service is one of the country’s greatest resources, full of knowledge, expertise and passion—something I relied on heavily when I worked there. Anything that helps use that capacity more efficiently to deliver quick, effective treatment and peace of mind to patients is a good thing.

Of course, building these technologies takes time, so we won’t see backlogs fall overnight. The public will reserve judgement until they see how this works in the first areas it’s expected to be rolled out, namely ophthalmology and gynaecology.

Patient access has always been my passion, and it’s what drove me to create 32co, which expands access to specialist care across several sectors. What the government is proposing is on a larger scale, but the principle is the same: using technology to stretch health resources further.

What matters is that these innovations don’t come at the cost of recruitment or decent working conditions. They should make life easier for doctors and healthcare staff—as well as patients.”

NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said: “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.

“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.

“The NHS can, must and will move forward to match other sectors in offering digital services that make services as personalised, convenient, and flexible as possible for both staff and patients.”

NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles said: “The online hospital could be a very significant development, transforming the way many patients receive their care.

“The way the NHS provides outpatients services hasn’t changed much for decades, but during Covid we learned a lot about opportunities for new approaches using digital technology.

“It’s sensible they are taking the time to plan this properly because there are a lot of factors to consider.

“These include the handling of patient data and the need to avoid ‘digital exclusion’ of people who can’t access the service.

“It’s important there’s new funding and it will be an NHS organisation with NHS staff.

“This is a bold, exciting initiative, but the benefits should not come at the cost of destabilising vital services patients will continue to rely on.”

Joe Jones, a cybersecurity expert and CEO & co-founder of cybersecurity firm Pistachio, told LBC: “Some estimates suggest the NHS faces more than 1,500 cyberattacks every week. Most are deflected, but breaches still occur—and the consequences can be catastrophic. Data is compromised, money is lost, and in the worst cases, lives are put at risk.

"Just last week we heard about the NHS’ new screening platform linking together its computer systems. This week the government is announcing online hospitals it hopes will deliver millions of appointments. These innovations are necessary and inevitable, but they also make the NHS a bigger target and raise the stakes of any attack. The vast amount of highly sensitive data the NHS now holds is staggering, and hugely attractive to hackers.

"The fallout from a successful breach would be severe: mass data exposure and serious disruption to an NHS that is more online than ever.

"That’s why it is absolutely essential staff receive thorough, ongoing cybersecurity training. Attackers are constantly developing new methods, so training must be regular to keep pace and protect patient data.

"There have been positive steps by government, but security needs to be dramatically ramped up to match the threat. This cannot be treated as just an IT issue—it is fundamental to patient care. As I said in a piece for LBC last week: the NHS’ effective functioning is, quite literally, a matter of life and death.”