An app that promises users a video doctor consultation within one hour, and medication delivery to London addresses within four, is due to launch in the next month.

Created by doctors to plug the gap in care left by an overstretched NHS. Even in the aftermath of a general election that saw all main parties pledging billions in extra funding, the app's creation is another sign that few believe a lasting solution is imminent. It also follows the 2014 launch of Babylon, a similar remote consultation subscription service setup by former Goldman Sachs banker Ali Parsa.

With Babylon, users can be sent for tests and referrals, and get prescriptions. But while that service is targeting large corporations that are willing to provide Babylon subscriptions as perks to employees, Dr Now is targeting the portion of the population that have to have time off work to attend doctor's appointments. It points to a Citizens Advice report in 2014 that said those aged between 18 and 34 were more than twice as likely to attend A&E or walk-in centres as those aged over 55. The Citizens Advice report found that because older generations are seeking out GP time, those under 34 are turning to emergency services out of working hours to get the appointments they need — hence the opportunity.

“We believe Dr Now will be sought by a lot of individuals from the 'on-the-go-society',” cofounder Lee Dentith tells WIRED.co.uk. “From the research we've done, we see a lot of people leave university, go to London, and never register with a doctor, or jump flats a couple of times. It becomes a problem because in some areas the NHS is not taking on additional patients. That's where we have all the pressure on the A&E.”

“It has been estimated that 10 to 30 percent of A&E cases can be classified as GP cases,” cofounder Dr Andrew Thornber adds. “GPs have a lot more experience than A&E doctors in the area of General Practice, as you would expect, and there is the potential for the number of inappropriate attendances at A&E to be reduced with Dr Now.” Pre-election, the Conservatives pledged 7-day GP appointments by 2020, but in the interim it's likely we'll see more interventions like Dr Now.

The service has 250 doctors – specialising in a range of areas — in its network, all of whom hold the relevant General Medical Practice qualifications. Many of the doctors are multilingual, and not even necessarily based in the UK with several working from home. The platform has also been approved by the Care Quality Commission, England's independent health services regulator. Swifter access to prescriptions has obvious upsides; Dr Now has its own courier network in place and promises to get the medication or prescription to patients overnight, or in the case of London, within two to four hours. It has achieved this by setting up its own NHS-approved pharmacies – one outside London, one inside – that act as warehouses for deliveries. Alternatively, the prescription can be sent straight to a patient's local chemist. The couriers are all registered, and never have access to the medicine or prescription, which is in a sealed envelope they hand to the pharmacist.

“Many people would actually just like to see a doctor, that's where Bablyon came in,” says Dentith. “But I don't want to just see someone — I still have to leave the office and fill up my prescription. Why not get someone to bring it to the office?” Dr Now makes works on a subscription basis — £4.99 per month for unlimited appointments (Babylon costs £7.99 per month) or £29 for a one-off appointment. The app has already been authorised by the App Store, and the team is speaking with the NHS about becoming part of its “out of area” initiative, which sees GPs being paid to see patients from oversubscribed areas where the patient cannot register. Before we have medical grade at-home sensors that can securely upload our vital statistics or samples to a physician, there will always be limitations to services such as Dr Now. Not to mention, there could be a danger in a service selling itself as being able to get medication to anyone, fast.

Thornber does not believes this will be the case. He points out that 90 percent of diagnoses are made on patient history alone, with tests and examinations helping make a final decision. “In other words the vast majority of patient encounters could theoretically be dealt with by Dr Now,” he says. “I'm in no way understating the importance of seeing and examining a patient by saying this, but just to put into context how important a good and full history from a patient is.”

“All of the doctors are competent NHS GPs in their own right… and have regular yearly appraisals and five-yearly revalidation as per the GMC. We have a rigorous in-house appraisal and audit system linked to patient feedback data. The care and treatment — whether a prescription is issued or not — will not be influenced by anything other than clinical evaluation and clinical need, and not expectation. Therefore there will not be any concerns or problems in relation to a pressure to prescribe or that a prescription my be issued without proper and full evaluation.”

Following the UK launch on iOS and Android in the next four to six weeks, the Dr Now team plans on taking the product to Europe within the next year, and is already looking further afield to markets in the Middle East and Asia. “The Dubai government is interested in GPs,” says Dentith. “There the pharmacist just asks people what type of medication they would like.”