10 Year Health Plan

 

PM LAUNCHES NEW ERA FOR NHS WITH EASIER, MORE CONVENIENT CARE IN PEOPLE’S  NEIGHBOURHOODS 

  • Prime Minister launches government’s 10 Year Health Plan to bring the NHS closer to  home 

  • Neighbourhood Health Services to be rolled out across the country, bringing  diagnostics, mental health, post-op, rehab, and nursing to people’s doorsteps

  • Neighbourhood health centres will house services under one roof, open at evenings and  weekends 

  • Plan for Change will rebuild the NHS to train thousands more family doctors, transform  hospital outpatient appointments, and provide personalised care plans for complex  needs 


Millions of patients will be treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health  professionals, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out today, as the Government’s Plan for  Change delivers a brand-new era for the NHS and delivers one of the most seismic shifts in care  in the history of the health service. 

The launch of a Neighbourhood Health Service will see pioneering teams, some based entirely  under one roof, set up in local communities across the country, to dramatically improve access  to the NHS. As part of the Government’s aim to shift care out of hospitals and into the  community, they will free up overstrained hospitals from perpetual firefighting so they can focus  on delivering only the best, most cutting-edge, and personalised care. 

These neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range  of healthcare services right on people’s doorsteps – stopping them from having to make lengthy  trip to hospitals. Neighbourhood teams will include staff like nurses, doctors, social care  workers, pharmacists, health visitors, palliative care staff, and paramedics. Community health  workers and volunteers will play a pivotal role in these teams, and local areas will be  encouraged to trial innovative schemes like community outreach door-to-door – to detect early  signs of illness and reduce pressure on GPs and A&E. 

Launching the government’s 10 Year Health Plan today, the Prime Minister will set out how  moving care from hospitals to the community is one of the three key shifts required to tackle the  inherited challenges and neglect of the NHS, make sure it is equipped to look after a modern  society, and ensure people feel the change and improvements in healthcare that they voted for. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

“The NHS should be there for everyone, whenever they need it. 

“But we inherited a health system in crisis, addicted to a sticking plaster approach, and unable  to face up to the challenges we face now, let alone in the future.

“That ends now. Because it’s reform or die. Our 10 Year Health Plan will fundamentally rewire  and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people’s doorsteps, harnesses game-changing  tech and prevents illness in the first place. 

“That means giving everyone access to GPs, nurses, and wider support all under one roof in  their neighbourhood - rebalancing our health system so that it fits around patients’ lives, not the  other way round. 

“This is not an overnight fix, but our Plan for Change is already turning the tide on years of  decline with over four million extra appointments, 1,900 more GPs and waiting lists at their  lowest level for two years. 

“But there’s more to come. This government is giving patients easier, quicker and more  convenient care, wherever they live.” 

The plan follows Lord Darzi’s diagnosis of the challenges facing the NHS last year where he  assessed it was in a ‘critical condition’ as a result of deep rooted issues including low  productivity, poor staff morale, a failure to keep up with new technology, rising waiting times,  and a deterioration in the health of the nation. 

The PM will set out how the plan will deliver three key shifts to get the NHS back on its feet:  hospital to community; analogue to digital; and sickness to prevention. Built around these three  principles, the reforms within the plan will deliver the government’s promise to stop rising  waiting lists, deliver more convenient care, and tackle inequalities across the country. 

New health centres will house the neighbourhood teams, which will eventually be open 12  hours a day, six days a week within local communities. They will not only bring historically  hospital-based services into the community - diagnostics, post-operative care, and rehab - but  will also offer services like debt advice, employment support and stop smoking or weight  management, all of which will help tackle issues which we know affect people’s health. 

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

“Our 10 Year Health Plan will turn the NHS on its head, delivering one of the most fundamental  changes in the way we receive our healthcare in history. 

“By shifting from hospital to community, we will finally bring down devastating hospital waiting  lists and stop patients going from pillar to post to get treated. 

“This Government’s Plan for Change is creating an NHS truly fit for the future, keeping patients  healthy and out of hospital, with care closer to home and in the home.” 

The status quo of 'hospital by default' will end, with a new preventative principle that care  should happen as locally as it can: digital-by-default, in a patient's home where possible, in a  neighbourhood health centre when needed, in a hospital if necessary. This approach will make  access to healthcare more convenient for patients and easier to fit around their day to day lives,  rather than disrupting people’s work and personal lives.

Thousands more GPs will be trained under the 10 Year Health Plan, as the Government lays the  groundwork to bring back the family doctor, end the 8am scramble and make it easier to see  your GP when you need to instead of having to turn to A&E. 

The government inherited an analogue NHS, reliant on paper and fax machines and out of step  with modern technology. The government’s plan will bring it into the digital age, making sure  staff benefit from the advantages and efficiencies available from new technology. This includes  rolling out groundbreaking new tools over the next two years to support GPs. AI scribes will end  the need for clinical notetaking, letter drafting, and manual data entry to free up clinicians’ time  to focus on treating patients. Saving just 90 seconds on each GP appointment can save the  same time as adding 2,000 more doctors into general practice. 

The Government will also use digital telephony so all phone calls to GP practices are answered  quickly. For those who need it, they will get a digital or telephone consultation the same day  they request it. 

As it stands, some practices are struggling to keep up with an ageing population and  21st century health needs. New contracts will be introduced which encourage and allow  practices to cover a wider geographical area. It means smaller practices in the catchment area  will get more support to ensure the right access is in place so that everyone can access their GP  when they need to. 

Sir James Mackey, Chief Executive, NHS England said: 

“The Neighbourhood Health Service is a huge opportunity for us to transform how we deliver  care over the next decade – starting right on people’s doorsteps. 

“By bringing together a full range of clinicians as one team, we can deliver care that's more  accessible, convenient and better for patients, as well as reducing pressures on hospitals.” 

The plan will also deliver on the government’s promise to tackle the current lottery of access to  dentists. Dental care professionals will work as part of neighbourhood teams, where Dental  therapists could undertake check-ups, treatment, and referrals, while dental nurses could give  education and advice to parents or work with schools and community groups. The work  therapists cannot do would be safely directed to dentists. 

Under the plan, it will also be a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS  for a minimum period, intended to be 3 years. 

Following the government’s work already to roll out supervised toothbrushing for kids, the plan  will also improve access to dental care for children, making better use of the wider dental  workforce, especially dental therapists, including through a new approach to upskilling  professionals to work at the top of their clinical potential beginning in 2026 to 2027. This  includes proposals to allow dental nurses to administer fluoride varnish for children in between  check-ups, and the greater use of fissure sealants for children – covering back teeth with thin  plastic coating to keep germs and food particles out the grooves. 

Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“This is a vital step towards a more preventative, community-based NHS. Bringing care closer to  people’s homes through blended neighbourhood health teams recognises the complex and  interconnected challenges many patients face, and it is the right direction for both improving  outcomes and alleviating pressure on hospitals.  

“In many areas of the country, general practices working at scale through primary care networks  and GP Federations, are already partnering alongside other organisations to deliver joined up  care. It will be important to build on these positive successes.  

“Delivering on this ambition will require sustained investment in digital and estates, support for  the NHS’s workforce, and a commitment to decentralise national control by empowering local  leaders to do what is best for their populations. On behalf of our members, we are eager to work  with the government to help turn this bold vision into lasting change.” 

With the 10 Year Health plan the majority of outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals by  2035, by transforming care in the community. New digital tools will allow GPs to refer patients  quicker, and a wider range of services available on people’s doorsteps will mean less need to  attend appointments in hospital for ophthalmology, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and  mental health. 

As a result of this shift to community, hospitals will be able to focus on patients who need  hospital care, and get them seen on time again. 

The government’s Plan for Change is already delivering action to cut waiting lists and fix the  foundations of the NHS. Waiting lists are at their lowest level in two years, including the first  drop in April for 17 years. An extra 4.2million appointments have been delivered since July – over  double the government’s target. 10 new surgical hubs have opened since January, and over  1,500 more GPs have been recruited since October.