NHS to Bring Cutting-Edge Care into Patients’ Homes

The NHS is entering a new era of digital-first healthcare, with thousands of patients across England set to benefit from faster, more convenient, and more personalised care from the comfort of their own homes.

Announced on 6 November 2025 by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, the initiative represents a major milestone in the government’s Plan for Change, moving the NHS from an analogue to a digital era. Through the rollout of remote monitoring technologies and self-reporting tools across dozens of NHS trusts, the reforms aim to improve patient outcomes, ease winter pressures, and free up as many as 500,000 hospital appointments each year.

In this blog, Dr Richard Dune explores how digital-first healthcare is transforming patient care, strengthening NHS capacity, and shaping a smarter, more sustainable future for health and social care.

Care that’s easier, faster, and closer to home

The new remote monitoring and self-reporting tools, accessible through the NHS App, will allow patients to share updates on their health directly with their clinicians, including blood pressure, oxygen levels, or other key metrics, without the need for frequent hospital visits.

This shift to home-based digital care is designed to make healthcare more personalised, proactive, and efficient, while ensuring that in-person appointments are reserved for those who truly need them.

Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:

“Patients expect care fit for the 21st century, and that’s what I’m determined to deliver.

Using tech to bring care closer to home frees up hospital appointments for those who truly need them and makes life simpler for everyone. That’s our mission: care that’s easier, faster and always within reach.”

By giving patients more control over their care, the initiative aligns with the government’s broader ambition to build an NHS fit for the future, one that is digitally connected, patient-centred, and sustainable.

Dozens of digital pilots across England

Under the programme, dozens of new pilot schemes are launching nationwide, focusing on five key specialisms where digital innovation can deliver the greatest impact:

• Ear, nose and throat (ENT)

• Gastroenterology

• Respiratory medicine

• Urology

• Cardiology. 

Patients in these areas will soon be able to complete digital questionnaires, report symptoms, and share test results remotely through the NHS App, with their data reviewed by clinicians in real time.

In many cases, this will eliminate the need for routine hospital visits while enabling earlier intervention if a patient’s condition changes.

Ian Eardley, National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England, explained:

“Right across the country, the NHS is harnessing the latest technology to ensure people can get the care they need more quickly and conveniently, and closer to home.

Remote monitoring enables vital information to be shared more easily and efficiently between patients and their health teams, allowing people to get the support they need without an unnecessary trip to the hospital.”

Case study: Faster care for respiratory patients

One of the first pilot sites, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, will introduce digital pre-appointment questionnaires via the NHS App for patients with suspected respiratory conditions.

These digital forms give clinicians vital health data before a patient’s appointment, allowing them to prioritise care, reduce unnecessary follow-ups, and increase the number of patients treated within the 18-week standard.

Similarly, in Leeds, men who have been treated for prostate cancer will benefit from a new remote follow-up model that allows them to log health updates, book appointments, and message clinicians directly through the NHS App. This approach aims to spot potential cancer recurrence earlier, reduce missed appointments, and boost clinical productivity.

A world-first trial for motor neurone disease (MND)

In one of the most ambitious aspects of this digital transformation, the NHS is launching a world-first trial to support people living with motor neurone disease (MND) using remote monitoring and ventilator technology.

Led by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Sheffield, the trial will investigate how remotely monitoring and adjusting portable ventilators can enhance the quality of life for MND patients, many of whom experience difficulties with breathing, movement, and speech.

Dr Esther Hobson, honorary consultant neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield, said:

“It’s really exciting in Sheffield to be leading on this UK-wide study looking at how we can bring care to people living with MND closer to their homes.

We’re making the most of existing technology to make it as easy as possible for NHS staff and their patients to get the benefits without extra burden.”

The trial will run across 12 regions in England and aims to build the evidence base for expanding access to life-extending respiratory therapy for the estimated 5,000 people living with MND in the UK.

Transforming NHS capacity and patient experience

The expansion of remote monitoring will not only improve patient experience but also transform the efficiency of NHS services. By removing the need for routine in-person appointments and enabling data-driven care planning, the NHS expects to free up nearly half a million appointments annually.

These freed-up slots can then be redirected toward patients with complex or urgent needs, helping to reduce waiting times and alleviate winter pressures.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), said:

“As the nation’s largest funder of health and care research, NIHR plays a vital role in supporting the NHS to adapt to changing needs and embrace new technologies.

Digital tools offer more convenient access for patients, freeing up staff time and helping to reduce pressure on services.”

This shift reflects a growing global trend toward digitally enabled, community-based care, where data, devices, and digital literacy work together to support people living with long-term conditions.

Implications for the wider health and social care sector

The implications of this digital expansion extend far beyond the NHS. For health and social care providers, it signals the need to strengthen digital capability, workforce readiness, and data governance.

• Training and upskilling - Staff will need ongoing training in digital health tools, remote triage, and data interpretation to ensure safe, effective monitoring

• Interoperability - Providers must integrate digital systems with existing electronic health records (EHRs) and compliance platforms

• Regulatory compliance - As more patient data is collected remotely, robust policies on data security, GDPR compliance, and information governance will be essential.

For care homes and community services, digital monitoring will open opportunities for early intervention, proactive care planning, and closer collaboration with NHS teams , enhancing continuity of care and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.

This also aligns with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)’s priorities under the Single Assessment Framework, which emphasises innovation, data-driven improvement, and person-centred care.

A digital-first NHS: From vision to reality

The digital expansion builds on the NHS’s growing record of achievement, including:

• Delivering over 5 million extra appointments in the past year

• Providing millions of tests and scans closer to home

• Launching NHS Online, enabling up to 8.5 million specialist appointments via the NHS App within three years.

Together, these reforms are reshaping the NHS from a hospital-centric model into a digitally integrated health system, where convenience, prevention, and personalisation are at the heart of every patient interaction.

As Wes Streeting concluded:

“Through innovative approaches like this and NHS Online, we are building a smarter NHS all while easing pressures on busy hospitals and stretched staff.”

About The Mandatory Training Group

The Mandatory Training Group is a leading UK provider of accredited training, compliance, and workforce development solutions for the health, social care, and education sectors.

Through our ComplyPlus™ Learning Management System (LMS) and Training Management System (TMS), we help organisations deliver digital training, track compliance, and achieve inspection readiness.

Our integrated ComplyPlus™ Regulatory Compliance Management Software allows providers to manage audits, documents, and staff training seamlessly, ensuring efficiency and compliance across all frameworks, including the CQC Single Assessment Framework and NHS digital transformation standards.

Reference

HM Government. Patients to benefit from cutting-edge NHS care from their homes.