NHS 10-Year Plan Welcomed, But Success Hinges on Social Care Leadership and Integration
Care England has welcomed the ambitions of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan – but warns that without clarity on how adult social care is integrated into delivery, the plan risks being built on fragile foundations.
The plan outlines a major transformation of the NHS, built around three core shifts: moving care out of hospitals and into communities; replacing outdated systems with digital tools; and focusing on prevention rather than late intervention.
Central to this vision is the creation of Neighbourhood Health Services – integrated teams delivering everything from diagnostics to rehabilitation, mental health to lifestyle support, in local centres and on people’s doorsteps. Yet despite references to social care workers, the plan falls short of detailing how social care providers – the very backbone of community support – will be empowered and resourced to lead this transformation.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said:
“This is a plan that talks our language – prevention, personalisation, community-based care. But we’ve heard similar aspirations before, and the challenge has always been implementation. The NHS cannot deliver this vision alone. If adult social care is not put at the centre of delivery – not just as a partner, but as a leader – this plan will falter.”
Care England emphasised that adult social care already provides much of the kind of support envisioned in the plan: long-term care for people with complex needs, step-down and reablement services, holistic community engagement, and workforce models rooted in local neighbourhoods.
Professor Martin Green OBE added:
“The plan speaks to a future we’ve already been building. But vision alone isn’t enough. Providers need clarity, investment, and status. Without a clear role for adult social care, this plan will leave a gap between policy and reality.”
The plan sets an ambitious target: by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs should have a co-produced personalised care plan – a major jump from the current 20%. Care England warns that without meaningful involvement of care providers – who know these individuals best – such targets will remain out of reach.
The timeline of the NHS plan also aligns with the forthcoming Casey Commission, expected to report in 2026.
Care England stresses that these two agendas – health reform and care reform – must move forward together.
Professor Martin Green OBE concluded:
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape care and health around people’s needs, not system convenience. But we need to see investment in social care infrastructure, digital inclusion, and workforce strategy. The Government must now give as much attention to social care reform as it has to NHS reform – or neither will succeed.”
“Neighbourhood Health Services could transform how people experience care. But without social care at the centre, they risk becoming a brilliant idea lost in translation. If we’re serious about delivering care closer to home, we must start by backing the sector already delivering it.”
