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Menopause and prostate problems, along with iron deficiency anaemia, inflammatory bowel disease and some eye conditions, will be among the priorities for the NHS’s new online hospital when it launches next year.

NHS Online is a flagship reform programme at the heart of efforts to modernise the health service, says NHS England. It claims it will transform how healthcare is delivered, allowing patients to be triaged through the NHS App, speak to doctors via video consultation, and be monitored at home.

NHS Online is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years – four times more than an average NHS trust.

Patients will have the option of using NHS Online when their GP makes a referral for specialist care. Tests, scans or procedures will continue to take place at healthcare sites close to patients’ homes, while clinicians will be able to review their notes remotely.

As more patients choose NHS Online, the NHS hopes that hospital waiting lists will fall. Professor Stella Vig, national clinical director for elective care at NHS England, said: “The NHS’s new online hospital will see a huge shift in the way we deliver care, giving patients the option to have an online appointment with a specialist anywhere in England.”