Wes Streeting has set out a radical digital overhaul of the NHS in England, centred on an expanded NHS app and new hospital league tables, as part of a 10-year plan to give patients more control over their care. The health secretary said the app would become a “doctor in your pocket”, allowing patients to self-refer, book appointments, receive AI-generated advice, and access their medical records.
The government is betting that digital efficiencies will reduce the number of frontline staff needed by 2035, a move described by health experts as a “large bet”. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King’s Fund, warned that if technology does not free up enough clinician time, the NHS could face an even larger staffing crisis. She also said that tackling waiting lists while shifting care into the community would be a “tall order”.
Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pointed to how other industries have reorganised around apps, asking: “Why can’t we do that with health?” He said the app would provide 24-hour advice, seven days a week. By 2028, it will include a single patient record with details of tests, operations, and outpatient appointments.
The plan also involves using artificial intelligence to take notes during consultations and to draft initial care plans. Meanwhile, hospital league tables will be published for the first time this summer, showing waiting times, patient ratings, and clinical outcomes, allowing patients to choose which NHS trust treats them.
While some experts welcomed the technological ambitions, others expressed doubts. Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, called the use of technology a “real gamechanger” but rejected the government’s claim that the NHS stood at an “existential brink”. She noted that public satisfaction had fallen to 21%, but support for the NHS’s core principles remained “high and resilient”.
