The 10-Year Health Plan outlines three major shifts: moving from an analogue to a digital system, shifting care from hospitals to communities, and transitioning from treating illness to preventing ill health.
Public support exists for these shifts, but tensions remain:
- People support data use to improve healthcare but worry about sharing beyond direct care.
- They favor more community-based care but fear reductions in hospital services.
- They acknowledge government’s role in public health but are divided on the NHS’s involvement in prevention.
The King’s Fund supports these shifts, but achieving them will require tough funding decisions and open, sustained public discussions.
However, these proposed changes do not directly address immediate NHS concerns—such as A&E access, GP appointments, and waiting times.
For the government to deliver a stronger and more sustainable NHS, it must clearly show how these long-term shifts will lead to a health service that better meets public needs.
Visit The King’s Fund to read the full report Return to the Insight Bank