Menopause among priorities for new NHS ‘online hospital’

Menopause symptoms and prostate problems will be among the first conditions treated by a new ‘online hospital’, NHS England (NHSE) has announced.

NHS Online is due to begin seeing patients in 2027 and is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years – four times more than an average NHS trust, according to NHSE.

The service will allow patients to be triaged via the NHS App, have remote consultations with specialist nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, and be monitored at home without needing to attend hospital.

Related Article: UKHSA issues ‘urgent’ public health notice for nurses on Ebola outbreak

In-person appointments will remain available for patients who prefer them or who need physical examinations or procedures.

Initially, the online hospital will focus on ‘nine common conditions’:

• Glaucoma
• Medical retina (including age-related macular degeneration)
• Cataracts
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Iron deficiency anaemia
• Prostate enlargement
• Raised PSA (prostate-specific antigen)
• Menopause
• Menstrual problems which may be a sign of endometriosis.

Professor Stella Vig, national clinical director for elective care, said the online hospital will see a ‘huge shift’ in the way care is delivered, offering patients the option to have an online appointment with a specialist ‘anywhere in England’.

‘We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with, so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives,’ Professor Vig added.

NHSE said the service will build on existing local innovations such as digital prescriptions, online test results and remote follow-up clinics.

Patients referred through NHS Online will still attend healthcare sites for scans or procedures if needed, but care will otherwise be delivered remotely through the NHS app.

Related Article: Interview: Nurses urged to have ‘a lower threshold’ for thinking about syphilis

A single point of access referral system for eye conditions is already in place at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and a digital pathway for low-risk IBD patients at University Hospital Southampton has cut follow-up visits by two-thirds, according to NHSE.

The new service will aim to scale up such models nationwide and help bring down waiting lists by freeing up face-to-face capacity.

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘NHS Online will make accessing healthcare as simple as ordering a cab or a takeaway – fundamentally changing how people interact with the NHS for generations to come.

‘People with the nine conditions we’re announcing face some of the longest waits, ensuring they’re seen on time again as we shift the NHS from analogue to digital.’

Related Article: Hierarchy of harm: nicotine alternatives in a post-tobacco era

It was announced towards the end of 2025 that dedicated questions and support related to the menopause are to be included within routine NHS health checks for women aged over 40 across England.

The latest Nursing in Practice Podcast explores hosts a conversation with advanced nurse practitioner Ruth Bailey around the planned introduction of menopause questions.