- Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce plans for a new "online hospital" called NHS Online, aiming to deliver millions of appointments and significantly reduce waiting lists.
- The scheme, scheduled to commence operations in 2027, is projected to provide up to 8.5 million additional NHS appointments within its initial three years.
- Accessible through the NHS app, the online hospital will enable patients to connect with specialist clinicians, manage prescriptions, book scans and tests, and receive clinical advice.
- Starmer will frame this initiative as a "new chapter" for the NHS, emphasising modernisation and empowering patients to cut waiting times across the country.
- NHS leaders have welcomed the proposal as a major advancement, but stress the need for careful planning, new funding, and addressing potential issues such as patient data security and digital exclusion.
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