The chair of the NHS’s groundbreaking new online hospital trust has been named as business leader and former supermarket chief executive John Browett. NHS Online, which will provide virtual specialist care for patients through the NHS App and video consultations, has now been formally established as the Online NHS Trust.
John is a former chief executive of Tesco.com and has also held senior leadership roles at Dixons, Apple and Dunelm. He is currently chair of the Institute of Directors and is the former chair of Octopus Group and former non-executive director at EasyJet.
John Browett said: “I’m delighted to take up the role of Chair of the Online NHS Trust, which will deliver NHS Online, as we take this important step towards bringing patients faster and easier access to specialist care.
“In my previous roles across technology and retail, I’ve seen how much people value services that are intuitive, responsive and built around their needs and look forward to helping shape this new way of delivering NHS care.
“The new trust board brings a wealth of expertise from across and beyond the health sector and together we will build an organisation focused on making a real difference to patients.”
NHS Online aims to speed up specialist care by giving patients with several common conditions the choice to digitally connect with expert clinicians across England, no matter where they are in the country, providing faster access to treatments.
It will provide up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years of service delivery, with conditions including menopause and prostate problems, recurring urinary tract infections and iron deficiency anaemia among those being treated when services launch next year.
NHS Online, which was announced by the Prime Minister in September 2025, will provide care for conditions which clinicians have agreed can be safely diagnosed and managed by NHS clinicians virtually. Patients will have the option of using NHS Online when their GP makes a referral for specialist care and those choosing the service will receive care from doctors around the country directly through the NHS App – without leaving their home or having to wait for an in-person appointment.
Tests, scans or procedures will continue to take place at healthcare sites closer to patients’ homes, while clinicians will be able to triage patients and review their notes remotely, potentially outside office hours, without the patient needing to be present.
NHS Online won't replace in-person care where patients want or need to see a clinician face to face. Those who prefer to be referred via the traditional route will always have the choice to see specialists at a healthcare site. As more patients choose NHS Online, waiting lists are expected to fall for everyone by freeing up in-person appointments, helping people to be seen more quickly.
Dr Penny Dash, NHS England Chair, said: “NHS Online will transform the way we deliver planned care for people in England to improve quality of and access to care. The service is one step closer now that it has been established as an NHS trust and the chair and non-executive board members have been appointed.
“John Browett’s extensive expertise in customer focused and digitally enabled service industries will be invaluable as he leads the establishment of NHS Online, as well as working with other NHS leaders to ensure it is integrated into the wider NHS and works for patients.”
Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said: “John Browett has spent his career building digital services that work for millions of people, so I’m delighted to welcome someone with such valuable experience to the role.
“We’re bringing the NHS into the digital age and in line with the technology people use every day, so John’s know-how from the private sector will be crucial.
“By cutting waiting lists and connecting people to experts from the comfort of their own homes, NHS Online is going to make a real, tangible difference to patients and represents a major step in building a health service fit for the future.”
NHS staff will be given the opportunity to work for NHS Online alongside their usual job, with a survey of consultants finding that six in ten were interested – many more than will be needed to run the service without any impact on other NHS care.
The survey of nearly 300 consultants and specialist doctors also found that nearly half (48%) would be willing to offer at least four hours a week of their time, with the opportunity to care for patients innovatively, work flexibly and improve patient experience among their top reasons for wanting to sign up.
Findings from the survey of consultants and further engagement with NHS staff, such as nurses, as well as patients and other stakeholders will be used to develop plans for the service.
More information about NHS Online is available at onlinetrust.nhs.uk