UK launches neighbourhood health service to improve NHS access

AdelaideSci/Tech2025-07-058290

The UK Government has unveiled a new neighbourhood health service aimed at enhancing access to the National Health Service (NHS) and shifting care from hospitals to local communities.

This initiative is part of the government's Plan for Change, which seeks to improve patient care.

The new health centres will offer a comprehensive range of services and be staffed by multidisciplinary teams, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social care workers, and other health professionals.

Community health workers and volunteers will also be integral to these teams, with innovative community outreach programmes planned to identify early signs of illness.

While launching the government's 10-Year Health Plan, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted the importance of moving care from hospitals to the community as one of three critical changes needed to revitalise the NHS.

The plan also focuses on moving from analogue to digital systems and prioritising prevention over sickness treatment.

Starmer said: “Our 10-Year Health Plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people’s doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place.”

The new health centres, which will eventually operate 12 hours a day, six days a week, aim to bring services traditionally based in hospitals, such as diagnostics and post-operative care, into the community.

In addition, they will provide support services, such as debt advice and employment support.

To support this transformation, the government will train several general practitioners (GPs). This is expected to end the 8am rush for appointments and make GP services more accessible.

Digital advancements are a cornerstone of the government's plan, with AI scribes set to eliminate the need for manual clinical notetaking and data entry.

New tools will be launched to support GPs, and digital telephony will ensure calls to GP practices are answered promptly.

Dental care is also a focus of the plan, with dental care professionals becoming part of neighbourhood teams. New requirements for newly qualified dentists to practise in the NHS for at least three years are intended to improve access to dental services.

The 10-Year Health Plan outlines a future where the majority of outpatient care will take place outside of hospitals by 2035.

"UK launches neighbourhood health service to improve NHS access" was originally created and published by Hospital Management, a GlobalData owned brand.


 


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