NHS 10-Year Plan

What the NHS 10-Year Plan Means for Our Patients

The NHS has recently set out a new 10-Year Plan aimed at transforming the way health and care services are delivered across the country.

While much of the national conversation has focused on structural reforms and high-level goals like "integration" and "digital innovation," patients rightly want to know:

“What will actually change for me?”

At The Wells Medical Practice we’ve begun reviewing the plan to understand what it means for the way we work and how we care for our patients. While details will continue to emerge over time, here are some of the key themes from the plan and how we expect they could affect you:

1. More Convenient Access to Care

• Expansion of digital and remote services, including easier access to online consultations and prescriptions.
• Improved use of the NHS App, giving patients more control over appointments, records, and test results.
• Extended use of telehealth (remote consultations) where appropriate, for quicker follow-up and reduced need to travel.

2. Proactive and Preventive Care

• Greater emphasis on early detection, screening, and lifestyle support to prevent illness.
• Support for patients to manage long-term conditions more independently, with tools and resources tailored to individual needs.

3. Joined-Up Services

• Closer working between GPs, hospitals, mental health teams, social care, and voluntary services.
• Patients with complex needs may benefit from more coordinated care, with fewer gaps between services.

4. More Personalised Support

• A move towards personalised care plans, especially for those with multiple health conditions.
• Empowering patients to make informed decisions about their care, with support where needed.

What We're Doing at the Practice

We are currently:

• Reviewing where we can align with the Plan in a way that brings real, local benefit.
• Identifying any new actions we might need to take in the short, medium, and longer term.
• Looking at ways to improve communication and transparency around what services are available and how to access them.

We’ll keep our Patient Participation Group (PPG) updated and welcome feedback from our wider patient community. As more becomes clear, we’ll share updates in our newsletter and on this page.

Have your say: If you have thoughts, concerns, or questions about the 10-Year Plan and how it may affect you, we’d love to hear from you.

Click here to submit an online submission.

What is the ICB (integrated care board):

An Integrated Care Board, or ICB, is a group of local NHS and care organisations that work together to plan and improve health and care services for people in their area.

Think of it as a team made up of doctors, nurses, hospitals, local councils, and other partners. They all work together to make sure you get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

The ICB is responsible for:

• Making sure local health services (like GP practices, hospitals, and community care) are joined up and working well together.
• Deciding how NHS money is spent in your area.
• Helping people stay healthy and supporting them to manage long-term conditions.

Each area of England has its own ICB. They aim to make care more coordinated, more local, and better for patients.

Published: Jul 11, 2025