At a glance: All the headlines from the 10-year health plan

The Government has released its plan for how the NHS in England will be reformed over the next decade. Here are the major headlines

Partnership model alternative

The Government will introduce two new contracts aimed at enabling GPs to work across larger geographies, as an alternative’ to the traditional GP partnership model.

The first of the new contracts will support the creation of ‘single neighbourhood providers’, delivering enhanced services to people with similar needs across a defined local area of a similar scale to current PCNs. The second will establish larger ‘multi-neighbourhood providers’, focussing on delivering services that require coordination across multiple neighbourhoods, such as end-of-life care.

Shifting care into the community

The plan laid out plans to move ‘the majority of outpatient care’ outside of hospitals and into the community by 2035, with neighbourhood health centres bringing ‘historically hospital-based services into the community’ including diagnostics, post-operative care and rehab.

As part of the shift in outpatient care, advice and guidance (A&G) will be expanded to more specialties, with a focus on ophthalmology, cardiology, respiratory medicine and mental health a focus in the next few years.

Workforce

The plan has pledged to prioritise UK medical graduates – and other doctors who have worked in the NHS ‘for a significant period’ – for foundation and specialty training. The Government will commit to hiring no more than one in 10 NHS recruits from overseas in order to create a ‘self-sufficient workforce by 2035’.

This comes following the BMA backing a proposal to prioritise UK medical school graduates over international medical graduates (IMGs) for training posts, at their national conference last month. However, in May the union’s GP committee criticised BMA resident doctors for passing a similar ‘protectionist policy’ around speciality places, arguing that it disadvantaged IMGs.

Personalised care plans for patients with complex needs

Under the new plan, patients with complex needs will have a personalised care plan in place within two years covering both their treatment and holistic wishes. The Government said that this will give patients significant ‘choice and freedom’ around their care.

Currently, only about 20% of patients with a long-term condition currently have a care plan in place, but according to the 10-year plan’s outline, the new standard will ensure 95% of people with complex care needs have a personalised and agreed plan by 2027.

Artificial intelligence to support consultations and the CQC

Technology is also set to play a big role in the reformation of the NHS. GP surgeries will be supported by the Government to roll out AI transcribing tools in a bid to save clinicians’ time. Starting in 2027, AI administrative and diagnostic tools will be deployed in general practice following a ‘framework procurement process’ so that the technology is safely implemented.

AI will also be used by the CQC to carry out ‘rapid response inspections’ of healthcare providers. The Government said that the new AI-led ‘warning system’ will sift the watchdog to a more ‘data-led regulatory model.

Patient data

The NHS will introduce a ‘single patient record’ (SPR) available on the NHS App by 2028, bringing patients’ medical records and other relevant information into one place. New legislation will also be established, placing a duty on providers, including GP practices, to make the information they record about patients available to them. The record will also be available to pharmacies, which are set to play a greater role in patient care.

Read all of Pulse’s coverage of the 10-year plan here.

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