Sector Responds to Governments 10-Year Health Plan
The unveiling of the government’s long-awaited 10-year Health Plan today has prompted immediate and varied reactions from across the health, residential and nursing care sector, with industry leaders and key organisations weighing in on the ambitious blueprint that promises to transform healthcare delivery through three fundamental shifts: from hospital to community care, from analogue to digital services, and from treatment to prevention.
As Health Secretary Wes Streeting outlined the government’s vision for a “fighting fit” NHS backed by significant investment in genomics and cutting-edge technology, care sector leaders have been quick to assess the implications for their services, examining how the plan’s emphasis on community-based care and preventative health measures will impact residential and nursing home provision, workforce planning, and the crucial interface between NHS services and social care.
The comprehensive strategy, which follows months of national consultation through the Change NHS initiative, has generated particular interest among care providers regarding its potential to address long-standing challenges around hospital discharge, integrated care pathways, and the sustainability of care services for an ageing population.
Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said:
‘From what we’ve seen so far, the broad ambitions of the 10-year health plan – strengthening primary and community services, boosting prevention and harnessing new technology to help make it happen – are the right direction for the NHS.”
‘The NHS is not broken but – in the words of Lord Darzi – it is in a critical condition. The public overwhelmingly supports the NHS model – a universal, comprehensive, tax-funded system that is free at the point of use. So we welcome the scale of the government’s ambition and commitment to sustaining the NHS for decades to come.”
‘However, these ambitions have appeared in NHS plans for decades, so the question now is whether they will be backed up by the concrete policy changes and investment needed to turn them from rhetoric to reality. A clear delivery plan backed up by the right leadership and support will be needed. Otherwise, the critical benefits of AI and technology may not be realised.”
‘While we await the detail, the risk is that it is a plan for the NHS rather than a plan for health. To tackle the UK’s stalling health and for the NHS to remain sustainable, a comprehensive cross-government strategy is needed for rebuilding the nation’s health – for instance, through tacking poverty and strengthening public health. Just such an approach was promised in the government’s health mission but this is currently missing in action.”
‘There is also a risk that the plan is derailed by yet another reorganisation of NHS structures. Evidence shows that these reorganisations cause huge disruption and rarely deliver the benefits politicians expect, so the risk is that valuable time, effort and resources are diverted from improving patient care. Given funding for the NHS and other public services is so constrained, this is a distraction that the health service and patients could do without.”
‘We welcome the focus on developing a neighbourhood health service. This could offer more convenient services tailored to people’s needs. But history tells us that developing new models of care takes time and a stable policy environment. Even then, it is unlikely to deliver big cost savings. Bringing services together under one roof does not automatically mean people’s care will be better as a result – particularly when social care and other services in the community are under so much strain. Investment in modernizing buildings and IT will be needed to make it happen, as well as support for staff to work together in new ways.”
‘Ultimately, politicians will need to stand behind their commitment to shifting how care is delivered. The danger is that the Prime Minister’s commitment to tackling hospital waiting lists trumps the more fundamental changes needed.’
Joseph Brunwin, UK Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, said:
‘This long-awaited plan sets out an encouraging vision for the future of health and care – with a clear focus on prevention, digital transformation and delivering more care in the community. These are all areas where occupational therapy already makes a vital contribution and we welcome the alignment with our own workforce strategy.”
‘Occupational therapists have the skills and insight to be at the heart of neighbourhood health services – working across communities to keep people well and connected to the support they need close to home. They are central to preventing hospital admissions, supporting mental health and enabling people to do the activities – occupations – they want and need to do.”
‘But there aren’t enough occupational therapists and many people are waiting too long for the support they desperately need. So, while we’re encouraged that the government will publish a new 10-Year Workforce Plan, it’s imperative that this delivers an enlarged and strengthened occupational therapy workforce to achieve these ambitions.”
‘We look forward to working with government, the NHS, and partners across health and social care to embed occupational therapy across systems where they can have most impact, ease pressure on frontline services and help people stay well for longer and live their best life.’
Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said:
“Bringing the NHS closer to the community makes a lot of sense if it’s carried out effectively. Unpaid carers already provide care in the community, so this plan needs to strengthen those connections. We’re pleased to see a commitment to including unpaid carers and patients in care planning – something Carers Trust has long been calling for.”
“But if this plan is to work and truly deliver its transformative potential, unpaid carers and local carer services will be needed more than ever. Cutting waiting lists, getting patients out of hospital more quickly and helping people stay at home all rely on the 6 million people in the UK who care for family and friends. If its ambitious goals are to be achieved, the Government must recognise the vital role of carers and local carer services by ensuring they’re properly supported.”
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund said:
‘As the government publishes its 10-year plan for health today, what patients, the public and those working in the NHS will want to know is: why it will be different this time, and how soon it will lead to improvements. When will it mean people can see a GP more easily, or get mental health support for their child, or not wait hours in A&E?”
‘There is plenty to welcome in the details we’ve seen so far, with the biggest changes outlined being about how people access NHS services, with the rollout of new Neighbourhood Health Centres and a much greater role for the NHS app. At The King’s Fund our call for a fundamental shift of care from hospital to community and a more people-first approach has been echoed by successive governments – so, whilst welcome, the vision itself is not new; the radical change would be delivering the vision.”
‘An NHS that is more responsive and convenient, focused on helping people manage their health close to home where possible, will strongly resonate with the public. This much better fits the needs of our population today – people living for longer, but increasingly with long term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia.”
‘However, history has shown us that you can’t simply co-locate different health professionals in a building and expect a neighbourhood health service to flourish. In order to ultimately offer a more personalised service to the public, health and social care professionals will need to work differently to join up patient care. It is critical that general practice is at the heart of these new centres, and capital investment will also be needed to ensure they are in genuinely accessible community locations and able to make use of the latest technology.”
‘While a neighbourhood health service and expanded use of digital technologies are critical for re-imagining our health service in 2025, the plan will ultimately fail if it doesn’t also do enough to tackle the factors that lead to poor health and demand for healthcare in the first place.”
‘We believe that the shift from sickness to prevention is pivotal to improving the nation’s health, and whilst we are encouraged by some of the measures outlined to improve health – to work with businesses to support healthier eating, and to provide easier access to weight management services and obesity treatments – taken together this does not feel sufficiently radical to provide the sea change that’s required. We can’t duck the reality that we are an international outlier with stagnating life expectancy and with millions living many years of life in poor health.”
‘The clarity from the government about its priorities is welcome, and whilst the plan tells us what we will get, it is not explicit about what we may not get as a result. Unlike previous plans, this plan will not come with promises of significantly more funding or staff to deliver the improvements patients need. The government will need to be honest with the public and those working in health and care about the tough choices that will have to be made as a result.”
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:
“The ten-year health plan is a landmark moment for both the NHS and wider health and care system. We welcome its bold ambitions, and our members stand ready to work in partnership with the government and NHS England to make the vital reforms needed to put the NHS on a long-term sustainable footing. The reality is that without the radical action outlined in the plan, the NHS as a universal service is in unprecedented danger.”
“A key part of making sure this plan is successful will be resetting the relationship between the NHS and the public so that local communities are placed at the heart of these reforms and people are supported to be active agents in their own health and wellbeing.”
“Health leaders fully support the commitment to shift more care out of hospitals and into the community. Boosting neighbourhood health services is a vital step towards a more preventative, community-based NHS. Bringing care closer to people’s homes through neighbourhood health teams recognises the complex and interconnected challenges many patients face.”
“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 communities. Extra capital funding will be vital if the NHS is going to be able to develop new community health centres. That is why we have welcomed the government’s commitment to invest further capital funding and to explore how private investment can be channelled into the NHS.”
Jill Mason, partner and Head of Health & Care at Mills & Reeve, comments: “The sector has been waiting with bated breath for the NHS 10 Year Health Plan ever since the Prime Minster first pledged to create it following Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS last September.”
“Given the size of the NHS there is a lot for the plan to cover! There is much to digest around key areas such as primary care and neighbourhood health, mental health, digital transformation and AI. It’s a seminal moment for the NHS and fascinating for all stakeholders in both the public and independent sector.”
“The next phase of the 10-year plan will be critical. While this lays the foundations for an exciting future, the pace of change and the cost of implementation will need to be carefully balanced to bring this document to life and to fulfil its promise.”
