Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a significant announcement last week with plans to launch an ‘online hospital’ by 2027.
This initiative, called NHS Online, aims to digitally connect NHS patients in England with expert clinicians.
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, stated that the service is expected to deliver “millions more appointments by the end of the decade,” providing a viable alternative and giving patients more control over their own care.
However, the plan has been met with scepticism due to a lack of detail concerning key issues like the service’s management, the source of the clinicians, and how to address digital exclusion.
Here’s how health tech leaders reacted to the proposal.
Dr Rachael Grimaldi, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at CardMedic said:
“The new NHS Online hospital is a bold, necessary leap to modernise care, yet for a solution of this scale to be truly transformative, its design must be fundamentally inclusive from day one.
We need a clear blueprint for how this will work in practice which is currently missing.
Any virtual service must proactively dismantle communication barriers for the significant proportion of the population facing foreign language differences, low health literacy and sensory impairments. Integrating robust, multi-format support – such as EasyRead, sign language videos and multi-lingual content – is not optional.
Without it, this ambitious initiative risks creating a dangerous digital-exclusion gap that will widen, not reduce, existing health inequalities.
This feels like a plan that will either change everything for the better or make things a whole lot worse.
Guy Lucchi, Managing Director of Healthcare at System C, said:
“This kind of major digital transformation is vital to boosting productivity and ensuring clinicians can focus on effective patient care.
“For this vision to successfully roll out nationally, it will require a genuine and collaborative effort from all stakeholders.
“The NHS must work closely with its proven supplier base, particularly by championing British-built solutions. Investing in homegrown innovation ensures that the technology is perfectly tailored to the unique infrastructure and needs of our integrated health and social care system.
“This approach secures a competitive market for British suppliers and enables the deep integration needed for a truly national and sustainable online service.”
Alex Johnston, Director, Solventum Health Information Systems said:
“The announcement of NHS Online is a bold step in reimagining healthcare delivery for England.
“By connecting patients to expert clinicians wherever they live, this model has the power to cut waiting times, reduce inequalities, and give patients greater choice and control.
“We see NHS Online as a natural evolution of the NHS’s digital-first vision, where data flows seamlessly and clinicians are empowered to focus more on patients and less on paperwork.
“This isn’t just about technology; it’s about equity, empowerment, and sustainability. NHS Online shows that care can be both digital and human, efficient and compassionate.
“We are proud to support the journey towards a more connected, intelligent, and accessible NHS”
Dr Eleanor Wicks, Chief Medical Officer, Lifeyear said:
“The launch of NHS Online is a landmark moment for patient care in England.
“By connecting patients to specialist clinicians digitally, this initiative promises faster access, greater convenience, and more control for patients, while reducing local waiting list pressures.
“What makes this announcement particularly exciting is the opportunity it creates for a collaborative health tech ecosystem.
“For innovators, SMEs, and emerging digital health companies, NHS Online opens the door to integrate solutions directly into care pathways such as remote monitoring and virtual consultations to patient management tools.
“This approach not only enhances patient experience but also frees up hospital capacity for those who need face-to-face care.
“At Lifeyear, we see enormous potential in partnering with the NHS to scale proven innovations and build a connected, patient-centred system. Done well, NHS Online could be transformational for both patients and the broader health innovation ecosystem.”
Kath Dean, President, Cloud21 said:
“The creation of NHS Online marks a bold and exciting step in modernising patient care.
“By giving people faster access to specialists and more control over their care, this initiative has real potential to reduce waiting times and improve equity across the system.
“But transformation cannot be about technology for its own sake.
“To succeed, NHS Online must focus on outcomes: reducing pressures on clinicians, improving patient pathways, and ensuring digital services integrate seamlessly with physical care.
“Our depth of clinical leadership and frontline experience enables us to design solutions that genuinely support clinicians, freeing them from administrative burden so they can spend more time with patients.
“As the NHS advances its 10 Year Health Plan, we’re ready to be the partner of choice by bringing governance, trust, and real-world expertise to ensure innovations like NHS Online deliver measurable benefits for patients, staff, and the wider health system.”
Dr Harry Thirkettle, Head of Health Innovation, Aire Logic said:
“This marks a bold step towards a truly patient-centred, digital-first healthcare system.
“Yet, to ensure this online hospital serves everyone, not just the digitally savvy, we must confront the digital divide head-on.
“The centre will need to forge partnerships with health tech suppliers to deliver innovative, affordable solutions that bridge these gaps and provide a service which is easy to use.
“This will be a huge undertaking and currently it’s not clear how it will work or how it will be funded.”
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