The Online NHS Trust has appointed Pete Sinden, former Chief Information Officer and Executive Director at Genomics England, as its Chief Digital Information Officer. The appointment comes as the Trust develops its digital strategy and establishes the technology, governance and partnerships needed to support the use of artificial intelligence and digital technology in routine healthcare.

Sinden has already played a role in the early development of the Online NHS Trust, including establishing national partnerships and the governance and technical foundations required to support NHS Online. During his time at Genomics England, he led delivery of the national genome testing service, which has enabled genomic diagnoses for more than 100,000 patients. He has also held senior digital roles including Chief Digital and Technology Officer at NHS Improvement and Chief Digital Officer at the Care Quality Commission.

The Trust said Sinden's experience building relationships across the NHS technology community and developing joint national capabilities will support its aim of creating services that can be reused and scaled across the NHS, rather than operating as standalone solutions.

Plans for the Online NHS Trust, described as a new "online hospital", were announced in 2025. NHS Online is due to begin delivering virtual specialist care by the end of 2027. The service is expected to provide up to 8.5 million appointments and assessments during its first three years, connecting patients with clinicians across England through digital channels while tests, scans and procedures continue to be delivered through local NHS services. Triage is expected to take place through the NHS App, with scans available through local community diagnostic centres.

Dame Caroline Clarke was appointed the first Chief Executive of the Online NHS Trust in August 2026. She joined from NHS England, where she was Regional Director for London. The Trust has also been recruiting for senior positions including Medical Director, Chief Nurse, Chief People Officer and Chief Financial Officer as it builds its leadership team.

John Browett, the former Chief Executive of Tesco.com, was appointed chair of the Trust in June, alongside seven non-executive directors.

The Trust's initial clinical focus will include nine common health conditions, with menopause and prostate problems among the areas prioritised. The aim is to improve access to specialist care by connecting patients with clinicians remotely while enabling diagnostic tests and other procedures to take place closer to where patients live.

NHS England has also explored the development of end-to-end diagnostic testing pathways for NHS Online. A preliminary market engagement exercise examined the provider capabilities, digital maturity and interoperability required to support digital test ordering, appointment booking and notification of results. The information gathered is intended to inform future commercial and sourcing decisions for diagnostic access.

The development of NHS Online forms part of a broader expansion of virtual-care models across the UK and Ireland.

Ireland's Health Service Executive has highlighted several virtual-care initiatives through its innovation framework, including a virtual pathway for identifying obstructive sleep apnoea and virtual ward models supporting community and acute respiratory care.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has also been developing a unified digital approach to virtual care. Its proposed model aims to provide greater consistency in clinical assessment, improve risk identification and patient flow, expand alternatives to emergency department conveyance, and support more accurate referrals through shared records.

In Sussex, early results from a virtual ward pilot for older adults with complex mental health needs have also been reported as positive. The pilot combines remote and community-based care to support older people in remaining at home or in care settings where appropriate, with the aim of reducing avoidable hospital admissions and associated discharge delays.

The appointment of Sinden adds another senior digital leader to the Online NHS Trust as it moves from planning and infrastructure development towards the delivery of NHS Online. His role will focus on the digital foundations, partnerships and technology required to support the Trust's planned national virtual-care service.

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