Patients To Benefit From Cutting-Edge NHS Care At Home

New digital technologies will enable more NHS patients to receive care from home, under a national rollout announced last week.

Dozens of areas in England are introducing remote-monitoring tools through the NHS App, allowing patients to share updates such as blood pressure, oxygen levels or other symptoms directly with specialists. The initiative aims to make care more personalised, reduce unnecessary hospital visits, and free up around 500,000 appointments annually once fully operational.

The pilots will initially focus on five specialisms – ear, nose and throat (ENT), gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, urology and cardiology – with participating NHS trusts introducing digital pre-appointment questionnaires and self-reporting tools.

The programme also includes a world-first clinical trial led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield to remotely support people living with motor neurone disease (MND) through non-invasive ventilation monitoring.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the rollout would make care “easier, faster and always within reach,” helping patients access support closer to home while reducing pressure on hospitals ahead of winter.

Read the full government press release here

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network, said: We welcome continued innovation that helps bring NHS care closer to home. However, the success of digital approaches like these depends on reliable broadband and mobile connectivity and on ensuring that all patients can access the care and support they need, whether online or in person. Under our Delivering for All campaign, we are calling for targeted investment to close the rural digital divide and to strengthen the transport and infrastructure links that underpin fair access to health services. With only 54% of rural premises gigabit-capable and 10% still lacking superfast broadband, it is vital that improvements to connectivity and local accessibility keep pace with the expansion of remote NHS services, ensuring that no patient or community is left behind.