What is the NHS 10 year plan? The 3 things that could change for you under the 10 year health plan

• The government have launched their NHS 10 year health plan.
• It will focus on shifting care from hospitals into the community.
• These are three things that could change for you under the new health plan.

It’s been a challenging time for the NHS, from dealing with the pressures of the winter “quad-demic”, to tackling lengthy waiting lists following the Covid pandemic.

In response to the Lord Darzi report which found the NHS to be in “critical condition”, the government have revealed their NHS 10 year plan, which seeks to transform the healthcare system and how it cares for patients.

The new plan will focus on moving healthcare from hospitals into the local community, with an aim for the majority of healthcare to happen outside of hospitals by 2035.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “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.”

What could change under the NHS 10 year plan?

The biggest takeaway on what could change for you under the NHS 10 year health plan is the move towards care in the community, with an aim for the majority of healthcare to happen outside of hospitals by 2035.

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.”

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Here are the 3 things that could change for you under the 10 year health plan

Care in the community

A neighbourhood health service will be launched, with local health centres offering a variety of healthcare services under one roof in a bid to relieve the pressure on hospitals and move towards community based care.

These centres will eventually be open 12 hours a day, six days a week and aim to offer services including diagnostics, post-operative care, and rehab, as well as debt advice, employment support, help to stop smoking and weight management.

Move to digital

The NHS will be making the move towards a more digital approach, over the next two years AI scribes will be rolled out to assist with clinical notetaking, letter drafting and manual data entry to free up time for doctors and most importantly appointments.

Dentists

Accessing an NHS dentist has been a challenge in recent years, the 10 year plan aims to make it easier to get dental care, with dental care professionals and dental therapists working as part of neighbourhood teams, which could offer check-ups, treatments and referrals. It will also be a requirement for newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum time period, which is expected to be three years.

You can find out more about the NHS 10 year plan and what this could mean for you at GOV.UK.