'Everyone wins!' Wes Streeting hails new NHS online hospital in bid to give Britons faster 'specialist care'

Detailing the plans on the People's Channel, Mr Streeting said: "Today we're announcing the next stage in the development of NHS online, which was announced by the Prime Minister in the autumn at our Labour Party conference, and is designed to make sure that people get faster access to specialist care and advice much earlier than they would otherwise do.

"By connecting people for nine conditions where it's clinically safe and appropriate to do so, connect people online to a specialist in that area who can then speed up access to treatment."

He added: "We've got some terrible gynaecology waits in this country, and it might be that if you've got something like menopause or endometriosis and you are going through a real challenge, your GP hasn't been able to resolve the problem decides you need to see a specialist, NHS online will give you the choice of being able to connect to a specialist, where there's capacity in any part of the country, and the way that you wouldn't be able to do normally face to face.

"And that specialist will then be able to look at your case, review your symptoms and then decide on the next steps of care. For some people, that might be diagnostic tests and scans a local community diagnostic central hospital. For others, it might be a prescription that pops up on the app."

Challenging the Health Secretary, host Eamonn Holmes asked: "That's a great idea, nobody is objecting to that. But why is this any different than seeing a clinical professional in person?"

Mr Streeting responded: "Because it will be faster. We know that waiting lists for particular specialties can be worse in some parts of the country than others, and patterns ebb and flow, so if you can get access to a specialist faster online than you might be able to do face-to-face, that can speed up access to the tests and scans, or the treatment or the prescriptions that you might require, depending on your condition.

"And the great thing about this is that for anyone watching who's thinking, 'well, that is not what I want, I'm not going to see someone online, what on earth is he talking about?', well, the good news is this is entirely through patient choice."

He made clear: "If you don't want to see someone online, you're certainly not going to be made to. But the good news is, and let's say, for example, I've got blurry vision, could be cataracts, could be all sorts of things.

"If I've opted to see a specialist via NHS online, and I was in front of you in the queue for access to a specialist at one of our local hospitals, I've got out of your way, so you're being seen faster. So everyone wins from this, and crucially, and the central principle for me always is about patient choice."

Pressed by host Ellie Costello on the Government's stance on Donald Trump following his actions in Venezuela, Mr Streeting told GB News that Sir Keir Starmer's considerations are "first and foremost the UK's security".

He said: "Well, this is a fast moving situation, and I don't have anything to add this morning to what the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have already said. I appreciate that there are many people, including many of my own colleagues, who are making strident criticisms of the United States' action.

"What the Prime Minister is doing and the Foreign Secretary is doing is weighing up what they say, how they say it, and when they say it, because this is a delicate moment. And what the Prime Minister's considerations are is first and foremost, UK interests and national security."

He continued: "Secondly, how do we make sure the people of Venezuela get the Government they actually voted for and the people of Venezuela get to choose their future, not anyone else? And thirdly, how do we make sure that we are upholding European defence and security, including our own national security.

"At a time when the rules-based order has been disintegrating before our eyes, and let's be clear about this, a world without rules is a world in which we are all less safe. The UK supports the rules based international system. We have seen it creaking at the seams and now we see it disintegrating.

"It is our responsibility collectively to rebuild the rules based international system, because a world in which countries are abiding by the same rules and working with each other, is a world in which we are all safer, but we are a far cry from where we have been, sadly, since the Second World War in terms of upholding that rules based international system."

Questioning the Health Secretary on Mr Trump's plans for Greenland, Ellie grilled Mr Streeting on whether the Prime Minister will be speaking to the US President about it.

Mr Streeting told GB News: "I have no doubt the Prime Minister will be speaking to President Trump in the coming days. They do speak regularly, and the Prime minister always seeks to use that influence to best effect, both for the UK's national interests, for the interests of the people of Ukraine and their fight against Russian barbarism and imperialism, and also to make sure that we're leveraging that relationship in the interest of our continental security as well.

"We are very clear about Greenland. It is for the people of Greenland to determine their own future. They've been very clear about where they stand, they are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, they are part of the Nato alliance. There is no question about Greenland's future as far as the UK is concerned."

He concluded: "Greenland plays its part as part of the Nato alliance and as part of the Kingdom of Denmark in our collective security.

"So we already have Greenland on our team. Denmark plays its part in our collective security in the Nato alliance, including protecting the security of this country, and the Prime minister has been very clear about where we stand."

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