Starmer unveils new plan to ‘fundamentally rewire’ NHS

The NHS is set for a radical overhaul with a new 10-year plan aiming to “fundamentally rewire” the health service, shifting care directly to people’s doorsteps, the prime minister has announced.

- REBECCA THOMAS HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

Published by the government yesterday, the ambitious strategy outlines “three big shifts” in how the NHS will operate. These include a transition from analogue to digital services, a greater emphasis on prevention over treatment, and a significant move from hospital-centric care towards community-based provision.

The plan signals an end to the “status quo of hospital by default”, with a clear intention to relocate care into local neighbourhoods and individuals’ homes. By 2035, the majority of outpatient services are expected to be delivered outside traditional hospital settings, reducing the need for hospital appointments for conditions such as eye care, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and mental health.

To facilitate this transformation, new neighbourhood health services are set to be rolled out nationwide. These will bring essential services like diagnostic tests, postoperative care, nursing support, and mental health teams closer to communities, making healthcare more accessible and integrated into daily life.

The aim is to give people access to a full range of services, leaving hospitals to focus on the sickest, with neighbourhood health centres opening in the evenings and weekends. These will be staffed by teams including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, palliative care staff and paramedics. New services will also include debt advice, employment support, and stop smoking or obesity services – all of which affect people’s health.

Community outreach, with people going door to door, could also reduce pressure on GPs and A&E, the government said.

The plans also outline training for thousands more GPs, as the government pledges to “bring back the family doctor” and end the “8am scramble” to get an appointment.