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Skip the Wait: NHS App Offers Fast-Track Video Consults
6 Jan
Summary
- An upgraded NHS app will offer fast-tracked video appointments for men with prostate cancer symptoms.
- The 'online hospital' aims to make healthcare access as simple as ordering a taxi.
- New service launching next year will manage conditions like severe menopausal symptoms and cataracts.
The government is enhancing the NHS app to function as an 'online hospital,' streamlining access to healthcare services. Starting next year, individuals with specific symptoms, including men experiencing prostate cancer indicators, will benefit from expedited video consultations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting aims to make healthcare as accessible as everyday services, ensuring timely treatment for those facing long waits. This digital platform will initially manage conditions such as prostate enlargement, severe menopausal symptoms, endometriosis, fibroids, and eye conditions like cataracts, alongside anemia and inflammatory bowel disease.
This move is expected to significantly reduce waiting lists by enabling remote consultations, though in-person appointments remain an option. Professor Stella Vig highlighted the positive impact of faster diagnosis and treatment access, with tests and procedures continuing at local facilities while ongoing monitoring occurs via the app.
