PM launches new era for NHS with easier care in neighbourhoods
The Prime Minister launches a new era for the NHS, bringing more easily accessible care closer to home.
- 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 1,900 more GPs have been recruited since October.
ENDS
Further details:
- Where neighbourhood health teams have been trialled in England, they have significantly reduced hospital use. In Derby, integrated teams led to 2,300 fewer Category 3 ambulance callouts and 1,400 fewer short hospital stays among the over 65 population within a year.
- The Institute For Public Policy Research has already called for a neighbourhood NHS – arguing a strong primary care sector has been shown to deliver better health outcomes, fewer hospital and emergency department trips, and more efficient healthcare spending.
- As well as improving access to care for patients, The move to more care in the community will put the NHS back on the path to long-term financial sustainability. A recent study found that £100 spent on community care could achieve, on average, £131 in hospital savings.
- Care plans are vital to seamless care within the community, but only 20% of people with a long-term condition have one. Through the 10 Year Health Plan, the Government will set a new standard that, by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs have an agreed personal care plan. All care plans should be co-created with patients. This means neighbourhood teams can tailor care for specific patients, working with them and their loved ones to proactively manage their conditions instead of simply reacting and treating emerging issues as is the case under the current system. This is especially important for people with complex needs who are likely to be managing multiple conditions.
- Unpaid carers will be actively involved in care planning, with family, friends and carers agreeing decisions about care together where appropriate.
STAKEHOLDER REACTION
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said.
A Neighbourhood Health Service is at the heart of the NHS 10 Year Plan and it could be a game-changer for our older population if we get it right.
For far too long healthcare in the community has been fragmented and hard to access and navigate for older people, so crucial opportunities to nip their emerging health problems in the bud get missed.
At Age UK we aspire to an NHS that proactively supports older people to stay as well as is possible for as long as possible, and if delivered well the Neighbourhood Health Service really could help achieve it.
Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive of NHS Providers, said:
This plan brings together three key ingredients for success. It provides a renewed focus on what good care will look like for people who depend on the NHS most by investing in GP and new neighbourhood services.
It’s a win for patients who will be better informed and empowered to direct their care as never before.
And it makes the NHS simpler, ensuring quicker decisions and innovations get to frontline services faster.
This is a recipe that offers the prospect of progress where previous plans have faltered.
That is a great starting point and all NHS providers will be keen to seize this opportunity to build a better health service that staff, patients and the public are once again proud of.
Jacob Lant, Chief Executive of National Voices said:
The message in today’s plan is clear, for the NHS to thrive services must start to organise themselves around how people and communities actually live their lives.
Whether it be through shifting services out of hospitals, making innovative and inclusive use of tech or simply doubling down on getting the basics right, like communicating better with patients, this drive towards user-centred care offers hope for a more efficient and sustainable health service that focuses on patient need and outcomes. > To ensure no communities are left behind, it is vital that Neighbourhood Health Services look to develop this new offer in partnership with the voluntary sector and the full diversity of citizens that make up the communities they serve.
Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:
This vision to bring care closer to home is what both the public and the NHS need.
3.5 million people are living with cancer today, rising to 4 million by 2030. Without radical change, the NHS cannot meet this growing demand, or ensure that - whoever you are, wherever you live - you can access the care, support and treatment you need when you need it.
We welcome the Government’s recognition that we now need to mobilise every part of the NHS, communities and the voluntary sector to make sure this Plan succeeds.
Macmillan is ready to play our part in delivering this vision and the forthcoming National Cancer Plan to ensure everyone has the world class healthcare they deserve.
Rachel Power, Chief Executive, the Patients Association said:
We welcome this ambitious transformation set out in the 10 Year Health Plan that delivers on what we called for: integrated, accessible care that is centred on patients’ real lives. Having new neighbourhood health centres open 12 hours a day, six days a week with multidisciplinary teams and clinical and support services under one roof addresses the reality that health challenges don’t exist in isolation.
We’re pleased to see the commitment to training thousands more GPs and look forward to a sustainable workforce strategy to support the delivery of these expanded services, along with clarity on how quickly these centres will be rolled out. We remain committed to ensuring genuine patient partnership underpins the design and delivery of these services, so they truly reflect what patients need in their local communities.
Dr Jeanette Dickson, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said:
The ambition, scale and innovative approaches set out in the 10 Year Health Plan can only be applauded. It promises a lot and properly implemented, offers an opportunity to revolutionise healthcare.
It’s clearly not just about getting the NHS back on track, but designing a new healthcare system that’s fit for the challenges of today and tomorrow and one that can work for patients, staff and taxpayers alike. The sheer breadth and scale of what’s been set out will take time to fully digest, but the medical royal colleges are keen and ready to help implement the necessary changes to make this bold vision a reality.
Duleep Allirajah, Chief Executive, Richmond Group of Charities:
We welcome the ambitions of this 10 Year Health Plan to transform care with more focus on prevention, community and digital. We need a radical shift from a siloed health and care system that reacts to crisis, to joined up services that anticipate and prevent.
Neighbourhood health offers an historic opportunity to provide the kind of high-quality care that will inspire trust and confidence in the health service again. The voluntary sector has a vital role to play in this. Our 15 national charities, along with the wider voluntary sector, stand ready to play our part in transforming care and support for people.
Katharine Jenner, Director, Obesity Health Alliance said:
This is a positive step towards the healthier future people want. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing condition that needs long-term support. Crucially, as the Government now rightly recognises, we must also shift to preventing ill health before it starts.
After years of broken promises, delays and weak voluntary measures, this government must implement their Plan for Change in full this Parliament. Only then we can start to transform our food system – from one that fuels poor health to one that supports good health.
Real progress means taking mandatory action to tackle the relentless marketing and promotion of unhealthy food, improving access to nutritious options, and making healthy food affordable for everyone, right from the start of life.
Ravi Gurumurthy, CEO of Nesta, said:
Nye Bevan’s original vision for the NHS placed prevention at its heart. This plan takes important steps toward realising that ambition. The introduction of a new healthy food standard, alongside ending the sale of cigarettes, are serious interventions that could substantially reduce cases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases and narrow health inequalities.
The shift to a neighbourhood health service has the potential to deliver better care within communities and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of Marie Curie, said:
We are pleased to see the Government place the needs of patients at the centre of their Plan to reform the NHS, make clear commitments that will help fix the current crisis in palliative and end of life care for local communities, and set out a clear roadmap for creating an NHS that is fit for the future.
We look forward to working with them to ensure that additional NHS funding announced in the Spending Review transforms care in the community for people with a terminal illness.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said:
You can’t upgrade the nation’s health without tackling cardiovascular disease, one of the UK’s biggest killers.
Today’s ambitious plan lays the foundation for how we can stop more lives lost too soon to heart disease, prevent more heart attacks and strokes, and help more people live with healthier hearts for longer.
Henry Gregg, Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association said:
The 10,000 NHS pharmacies in England are right in the heart of their communities on high streets, in health centres, close to people’s doorsteps, providing health care and advice to millions every week.
Pharmacies want to be able to offer better, more joined up care for their communities so they share the Government’s ambition to bring care closer to people.
It’s important that pharmacies, who already do this work day in day out, are placed at the heart of these plans.
Investing in pharmacies can create a future where people can drop in for treatment, check ups, medicine reviews, and advice.
Pharmacies want to work with GPs, social workers and colleagues across the health service to provide better health care, nearer to people’s homes and take pressure off the NHS.
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:
The Government’s plan aligns well with the value that pharmacies can bring and will begin to harness the sector’s potential for the benefit of patients, communities and the wider NHS. Research shows that the public already supports playing community pharmacies playing a bigger role in healthcare services, and the sector has a unique ability to break down barriers to care coupled with an astonishingly strong record on efficiency.
But before this plan can become a reality, first the Government must deliver on its commitment to build the sustainable funding model that community pharmacy so desperately needs. The millions of people relying on them every day don’t want to lose their local pharmacies to financial collapse, which is something the Government should carefully consider as it seeks to implement its plan.
This plan is not the end of the road; it’s just the beginning.