The UK government launched its ambitious 10-Year Health Plan on 3rd July 2025, aiming to transform the NHS through three major changes. These are moving care from hospitals to communities, transitioning from analogue to digital services, and prioritising prevention over treatment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting outlined a vision to deliver a “fighting fit” NHS, responding to deep-rooted challenges identified in Lord Darzi’s 2024 report. That report described the NHS as in “critical condition” because of low productivity, poor staff morale and outdated technology.
A key element of the plan is the creation of neighbourhood health centres to bring diagnostics, mental health support, post-operative care, rehabilitation and nursing services closer to people’s homes. These centres will operate 12 hours a day for six days a week and will house teams that include nurses, doctors, pharmacists, social care workers and community health volunteers. The government intends to shift most outpatient care to these centres by 2035 so hospitals can focus on acute and specialised treatment.
Starmer highlighted the urgency of reform. He 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.” He noted that waiting lists are now at their lowest in two years, with 4.2 million extra appointments delivered since July 2024 and 1,900 additional GPs recruited since October 2024.
Streeting described the plan as a seismic shift. He 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.” The plan will also train thousands more GPs to restore the “family doctor” model and end the 8am appointment scramble.
The plan’s key features include neighbourhood health centres that will reduce hospital visits and provide convenient access to care. It promotes digital tools such as AI scribes to automate notetaking and digital telephony to improve GP call response times. Preventative services like stop-smoking programmes, weight management and debt advice will address social factors affecting health. Dental care reform will require newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for three years and dental therapists will expand community check-ups. By 2027, 95% of patients with complex needs will have personalised care plans created with their families and carers.
Stakeholders have largely welcomed the plan. Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, called it “a vital step towards a more preventative, community-based NHS.” Caroline Abrahams of 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.” Janet Morrison of Community Pharmacy England warned that sustainable funding is essential. She said, “The millions of people relying on them every day don’t want to lose their local pharmacies to financial collapse.”
The plan builds on trials such as in Derby, where integrated teams reduced ambulance callouts by 2,300 and short hospital stays by 1,400 among over-65s in a year. The Institute for Public Policy Research has argued that strong primary care improves health outcomes and reduces hospital admissions. With an ageing population and a rise in chronic conditions, the government’s focus on community care and prevention aims to keep the NHS sustainable and responsive to modern needs.
