MENOPAUSE and prostate problems will be among the first conditions treated by a new online hospital when it opens next year, the NHS announced on Monday (5).
NHS Online will allow patients to consult specialists via video appointments through the NHS App, avoiding unnecessary hospital visits while receiving care from doctors across England.
The service will initially focus on nine common conditions, including severe menopause symptoms, menstrual problems that may indicate endometriosis or fibroids, and prostate issues such as enlargement and raised PSA levels.
Eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration will also be covered, along with iron deficiency, anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease.
Professor Stella Vig, national clinical director for Elective Care at NHS England, said the online hospital would create “a huge shift in the way we deliver care, giving patients the option to have an online appointment with a specialist anywhere in England”.
Patients can access the service when their GP makes a referral for specialist care. Rather than waiting for an in-person appointment, they can speak to consultants from home at convenient times. Tests, scans and procedures will still take place at local healthcare sites.
Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director in Women’s Health, said menstrual and menopause problems “can affect every part of a woman’s life”, adding that NHS Online would help women “see a consultant from their own home without having to face a long wait”.
The service is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments in its first three years – four times more than an average NHS trust – and the first patients will be seen in 2027.
Face-to-face appointments, however, will remain available for those who prefer them or require physical examinations.
The government hopes that as more patients choose NHS Online, waiting lists will fall, freeing up in-person appointments for those who need and want them.
