More than half of NHS consultants have said they want to work for a new “online hospital” that will allow them to video-call patients from home.
The government is launching NHS Online, a virtual hospital that will treat millions of patients by matching patients with specialist doctors for remote consultations.
In an NHS survey of 303 senior doctors, 60 per cent said they would be interested in working for the online service, alongside their existing roles, when it starts next year.
NHS Online will match specialist doctors with patients for remote consultationsEkaterina Goncharova/Getty Images
The opportunity to work flexibly was cited by 86 per cent of doctors as a motivating factor in why they wanted to offer time to the NHS online hospital. Many cited the “ability to work from home, avoid commuting and manage family commitments”.
The online hospital aims to carry out 8.5 million appointments in its first three years, four times more than the average NHS Trust. It will initially focus on treatment for 11 common health conditions including anaemia, inflammatory bowel disease, menopause, endometriosis, prostate enlargement, and glaucoma.
Patients will be referred to NHS Online by their GPs, but will still be able to choose in-person hospital appointments if they prefer. They will have tests, scans or procedures at clinics close to home, but doctors will review their results remotely and carry out appointments over video or phone.
Most doctors plan to work for the online hospital four to eight hours per week, combining it with their existing NHS roles.
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Professor Stella Vig, the clinical director for elective care at NHS England, said: “It’s fantastic to see that consultants and specialist doctors are hugely supportive of the NHS’s new online hospital, with nearly two thirds willing to offer their time for this revolutionary service alongside their current roles.
“NHS Online will transform the way we deliver planned care, offering patients the choice to have an online appointment with a specialist anywhere in England.
“The service will make a real difference to patients’ lives as they’ll be able to choose to use NHS Online and be seen more quickly and conveniently, with many appointments delivered by video or telephone in their own home.
“We’ve also expanded the list of conditions which NHS Online will treat, so that even more patients will be able to benefit when the service launches next year.”
Plans for the virtual hospital were announced in September by Sir Keir Starmer, who said it would help reduce NHS waiting lists, which currently stand at about 7 million. The scheme is also designed to end a postcode lottery in care, by ensuring that patients can see the best specialist wherever they live.
Zubir Ahmed, a health minister, said: “Patients shouldn’t have to wait months or travel miles to get the care they need. By turbocharging the NHS with the latest technology, NHS Online will let people see specialist doctors faster — from the comfort of their own home.
“Every day matters when you’re waiting for treatment. This is about using the power of tech to get people diagnosed, treated and back living their lives faster.
“We’re proud to be cutting waiting times by embracing innovation. It makes the NHS work around patients and also offers new flexible ways of working for staff, all while keeping face-to-face care there for those who need it.”