Mobile healthcare app My Specialist Appinion (MSA), has officially launched to address the growing crisis in UK healthcare accessibility.
Founded by seven NHS doctors, MSA offers patients affordable and convenient access to healthcare specialists without the lengthy waiting times or prohibitive costs of traditional routes.
The platform was conceived in December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the founding doctors, a mix of general practitioners and hospital specialists, recognised an urgent need for change in the healthcare system.
With patients waiting up to two years for specialist NHS appointments for some specialties, and private consultations often costing more than £300, many people are increasingly caught between two impossible choices.
Dr David Onwubalili, one of MSA’s founding doctors and a practising GP, explains: “We were seeing real and growing frustrations from patients with unmet healthcare needs who were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“On one side, patients had long waits of three to six months to see a hospital specialist having been referred by their GP. On the other hand, they were met with unaffordable private fees.
“MSA bridges that gap, giving ordinary, everyday people options they simply don’t have right now.”
MSA’s user-friendly app allows patients to select from multiple specialties including cardiology, dermatology, orthopaedics, rheumatology, ophthalmology and urology, with more specialties due to launch in the coming months.
Patients complete a brief medical questionnaire, upload relevant images or documents, and receive expert advice through a secure, WhatsApp-style messaging interface with UK-based NHS consultant specialists.
The entire process, from registration to receiving specialist guidance, can be completed within minutes, giving patients either peace of mind or clear direction on next steps for their care.
What sets MSA apart from other digital health platforms is its exclusive focus on specialist care. While many telehealth apps connect patients with general practitioners, MSA provides direct access to healthcare specialists, which is the exact expertise patients struggle to obtain through traditional channels.
“For a given health concern, patients typically prefer to see the specialist in that field directly, when given the choice,” notes Dr Onwubalili.
All specialists on the platform are UK-based NHS consultants who are experts in their fields, ensuring patients receive trusted and professional medical advice.
The launch of MSA aligns with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent outline of the NHS 10-year plan, which highlights the importance of harnessing technology to improve healthcare efficiency. Co-founder Dr Sachin Modi believes MSA could play a vital role in this vision.
“This platform allows specialists to provide advice efficiently, perhaps while sitting on the sofa at home, reviewing information and giving an opinion within 5 to 10 minutes,” explains Dr Modi.
“It solves problems for both patients and specialists, making everyone’s time more efficient while easing the burden on an overstretched system.”
Following a successful soft launch with friends and family involving 50 to 60 patients, MSA is now available for download on both the App Store and Google Play.
The company is in preliminary discussions with healthcare providers including NHS hospital boards across the UK and private healthcare provider LIPS Healthcare in London about integrating the platform into their services.
As Dr Modi explains: “Our app is for the ordinary person who feels real frustration at the state of the healthcare system and is suffering without any viable outlets, whether that be treatment or reassurance. Sometimes, that’s really all patients need.”
With its tagline “A trusted opinion in your pocket”, MSA represents a new chapter in accessible healthcare, giving patients the agency and knowledge they need to take control of their health without breaking the bank or enduring endless waiting lists.
