The Plan sets out an agenda to address the continuing crisis in the NHS, rebuild public trust in its services and secure some form of sustainability.

 

Within it, there is an aspiration to reform which is delivery focussed, but the plan also seems to suggest a new relationship with the VCSE which is driven by individual systems and not from Central Government.

In addition, the abolition of Healthwatch provides a further concern about the presence of an independent patient and community voice.

There are three core shifts:

From Hospital to Community

• Establish a Neighbourhood Health Service: More care delivered locally and in homes.
• New Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) in every community. These will act as local one-stop hubs, co-locating GPs, community services, diagnostics, and mental health support, open 12 hours a day, 6 days a week to improve access and ease hospital pressure.
• Enhanced GP access, including same-day appointments and expanded multidisciplinary teams.
• Expanded personal health budgets and care planning.
• Integrated services with VCSE, social care, and Local Authorities.
• End corridor care, reduce outpatient reliance and shift funding away from hospitals.

From Analogue to Digital

• A digitally accessible NHS powered by the NHS App as a Doctor in your Pocket.
• Patients manage appointments, feedback, care plans, and medications digitally.
• A Single Patient Record will underpin integrated, predictive, and personalised care.
• Use of AI scribes to reduce administration and wearables for real-time monitoring.

From Sickness to Prevention

 

·        Public health reforms: tobacco control, obesity strategy, food policy reform.

• Investment in young people’s health, school meals, and mental health support.
• New genomics-based population health service and early disease screening.

The plan also suggests a raft of systemic reforms including a diverse and devolved NHS, shifting from Whitehall to Local ICB’s and their providers. Transparency and quality will be key and poor patient care will not be accepted: both workforce and financial transformation (which could include the issuing of  Multi-Year Contract awards or Incentivization by Results) will ensure an NHS fit for the future.

VINs view:

From a local VCSE perspective, there is a need to explore the implications of multi-year contracts and payment-by-results models in greater depth. Multi-year funding could offer much-needed stability, enabling longer-term planning, workforce retention, and more sustainable service delivery. However, any move toward a Pay-for-Performance Culture must be approached with caution. While outcomes-based funding can incentivise impact, it risks disadvantaging smaller VCSE organisations that work with the most marginalised communities, where progress is complex, non-linear, and harder to quantify. To be effective, these models must reflect the relational nature of VCSE work, avoid excessive bureaucracy, and include flexibility to respond to local needs.

 

The full report can be found here:  Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England