The trust developing the new online NHS hospital has appointed a chief nurse, in a move nursing leaders welcomed as a sign that clinical leadership is being embedded in digital care from the outset.
England's chief nursing officer, Duncan Burton, praised the appointee's clinical experience, saying it would be valuable as the trust develops new ways for patients to access care outside traditional hospital buildings.
The online hospital model is part of a wider push to deliver more appointments, assessments and follow-up care remotely, aimed at cutting waits and freeing physical hospital capacity for patients who need in-person treatment.
Supporters say senior nursing leadership matters in that shift, because nurses will shape how patients are assessed, escalated and kept safe when care is delivered through a screen rather than a ward.
