NHS Brings Cutting-Edge Care to Patients’ Homes Through Digital Innovation
Thousands of patients across England are set to benefit from faster, more personalised care from the comfort of their own homes thanks to a major NHS rollout of remote monitoring technology and digital healthcare tools.
In a landmark move to modernise healthcare, dozens of NHS trusts across England will introduce new digital services through the NHS App, enabling patients to share key health updates — such as blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs — directly with their medical teams. This approach makes care more convenient, allows clinicians to detect early changes in a patient’s condition, and frees up thousands of hospital appointments for those who need face-to-face care the most.
Once fully operational, the initiative is expected to free up around 500,000 appointments every year, reducing waiting times and easing pressure on hospitals ahead of winter.
World-First NHS Trial for Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
The NHS is also launching a world-first clinical trial to support people living with motor neurone disease (MND)using advanced remote-monitoring technology. Led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Sheffield, the project will test real-world benefits of remotely monitoring and adjusting portable ventilators for MND patients in 12 locations across England.
With around 5,000 people in the UK currently living with MND, the study aims to improve quality of life, extend survival, and reduce the need for frequent hospital visits — helping patients receive life-saving respiratory support from home.
Revolutionising NHS Care Through Technology
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
“Patients expect care fit for the 21st century, and that’s what we’re delivering. By using technology to bring care closer to home, we’re freeing up hospital appointments for those who need them most and making life simpler for everyone. This is a government that puts patients first — building a smarter, faster, more accessible NHS.”
The expansion of remote monitoring is a core part of the government’s Plan for Change — a long-term strategy to move the NHS from an analogue system to a digitally connected healthcare network. Through new services such as NHS Online, patients will soon be able to access expert clinicians from anywhere in England, with up to 8.5 million specialist appointments set to take place via the NHS App within the next three years.
Transforming Care Across Key Specialisms
The new digital pilot schemes will focus on five high-demand areas — respiratory medicine, cardiology, gastroenterology, urology, and ENT (ear, nose and throat) — where technology can have the biggest impact.
At Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, digital pre-appointment questionnaires will give clinicians vital information ahead of patient visits, helping to speed up initial consultations and reduce unnecessary follow-ups. In Leeds, prostate cancer patients will benefit from secure, app-based messaging with clinicians and remote health updates to spot recurrence earlier.
A Smarter, More Accessible NHS
Dr Esther Hobson, senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield, added:
“We’re using existing technology in new ways to make care more accessible, especially for patients who struggle to reach hospital. This is about making life easier for patients and NHS staff alike.”
With more than five million extra NHS appointments delivered last year and record investment in health innovation, this expansion marks another decisive step in building a modern, digital-first NHS — one that delivers care that’s faster, fairer, and closer to home.
