Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled the government’s new 10-Year Health Plan, promising a major shift in how NHS care is delivered by moving services out of hospitals and into local communities.
At the centre of the plan is the rollout of neighbourhood health services across England, designed to treat millions of patients closer to where they live. The government says the move will ease pressure on overstretched hospitals while making care more accessible and convenient for patients.
Under the proposals, new neighbourhood health centres will be established nationwide, with many services housed under one roof and open during evenings and weekends. These centres are expected to provide diagnostics, mental health support, post-operative care, rehabilitation, nursing services and ongoing support for people with long-term or complex conditions.
Teams working in neighbourhood settings will bring together a wide range of professionals, including GPs, nurses, pharmacists, social care staff, paramedics, health visitors and palliative care specialists. Community health workers and volunteers will also play a key role, with some areas encouraged to trial proactive outreach, such as door-to-door checks aimed at spotting early signs of illness and preventing emergencies.
The Prime Minister said the shift towards community-based care is one of three fundamental changes needed to address long-standing problems within the NHS. He described the current system as overly reliant on short-term fixes and said the new approach would “rewire” the health service to better meet the needs of modern society.
Speaking at the launch, Starmer said the NHS must be organised around patients’ lives rather than forcing patients to navigate complex systems. He argued that providing access to doctors, nurses and wider support within local neighbourhoods would help prevent illness, reduce hospital admissions and improve long-term outcomes.
The plan also includes commitments to train thousands more family doctors, modernise hospital outpatient appointments and expand personalised care plans for patients with multiple or ongoing health needs. Ministers say these reforms will support earlier intervention and reduce the need for hospital treatment wherever possible.
According to the government, progress is already being made, with more than four million additional appointments delivered, 1,900 extra GPs recruited and waiting lists falling to their lowest level in two years. However, Starmer acknowledged the reforms would take time to fully implement, describing the plan as a long-term transformation rather than a quick fix.
The strategy follows last year’s independent review led by Lord Darzi, which warned the NHS was in “critical condition” due to deep-rooted structural problems, including low productivity and rising demand.
Ministers say the 10-Year Health Plan represents a decisive break from the past, with the aim of creating a more resilient NHS that delivers care earlier, closer to home, and better tailored to individual patients’ needs.
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