NHS announces conditions for treatment at online hospital

Response - 5 January 2026

The Government have announced the first step in delivering the new NHS online hospital, allowing nine common conditions to receive faster access to specialist care

Menopause and prostate problems will be among the priority conditions for the NHS’s new online hospital when it launches next year, the NHS announced today.

Launched by the Prime Minister in September 2025, the announcement sees the first step in delivering the new NHS Online hospital, which the government says will allow patients to be triaged quickly through the NHS App, speak to doctors via video consultation, and be monitored in the comfort of their home, saving unnecessary trips to the hospital.

While patients will always have the option of in-person appointments, the government adds that NHS Online will allow patients to be seen much more quickly by digitally connecting them to expert clinicians across England, no matter where they are in the country.

Our Deputy Chief Executive, Chris McCann, welcomed the announcement:

We welcome the clarity about which areas of care will be covered by NHS Online.

The combined waiting list across the areas of care covered under the new virtual referral services currently includes more than 1.9 million people. Our own research shows that on one of the biggest service waiting lists, ophthalmology, nearly a quarter of people have been waiting over a year for specialist help. Those waiting have told us about worsening vision as a result of long waits, affecting their ability to work and socialise and with negative effects on mental health.

The prospect of NHS Online reducing waiting lists will therefore come as welcome news to those facing long delays in their care.

We also welcome the government’s involvement of patients in the design of NHS Online, via consultations with the local Healthwatch network. However, as a service that will be accessed via the NHS App, it is essential that people who need it are offered support to use the NHS App. Those who do not use digital services must not be left behind, with improvements needed to access timely care through physical hospitals.