Babylon Health, which provides an online doctor-on-demand service, is planning to open its own private GP surgeries.
The digital healthcare company is working with architecture firm Foster and Partners to design futuristic versions of GP surgeries, its chief executive Ali Parsa said.
Currently, Babylon rents rooms in GP surgeries for when its customers need to have a real-world meeting.
However, it found that customers were less satisfied with physical meetings than remote consultations with doctors through its app.
Parsa (pictured) told the Telegraph the company is now planning to open a series of locations next year where its customers can book meetings with its GPs and specialists.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, argued Babylon’s plan risked distracting from larger issues faced by the NHS.
“We’ve always recognised that Babylon has found a gap in market, especially for our younger and healthier patients who sometimes struggle to get an appointment – and it can certainly be convenient,” she said. “But focusing on the services provided by Babylon and other private companies is distracting us from the real issues of our core NHS services being underfunded.”