An introduction

The new NHS 10-year plan is long, confusing, and lacks context. To make this easier for aspiring medics our team has written a brief history of NHS plans, along with our 10 favourite features from the 2025 plan.

2000 NHS plan

Following a substantial increase in NHS funding, the government outlined a 10-year plan to start the new century. This plan largely focused on boosting capacity, such as beds, staff, facilities, and equipment. A main target was to reduce waiting times for treatment, a key example being the introduction of public-private partnerships.

2014 5-year plan

In the 2010s the government's budget was significantly reduced; following this, the government released a shorter 5-year plan in 2014. The plan focused on the integration of services, with targets such as encouraging a closer relationship between GPs and hospitals. There was also a large emphasis on public health and preventative measures.

2019 NHS long-term plan

After a new 5-year funding pledge, a fresh 10-year plan was introduced. It included structures to identify which conditions were the 'biggest killers and disablers.' The plan also aimed to reduce waiting times, increase prevention, and also utilise technology more widely in healthcare.

2025 10-year plan

We've listed the 10 features of the 2025 10-year plan that our team found most interesting. The full document is linked at the bottom of this article for those that are interested.

AI implementation for doctors and nurses

The document repeatedly states that they aim to reduce the paperwork required for doctors and nurses. The main way they plan on sorting this is via AI assistants to help with documentation and patient files.

My NHS GP

This will allow patients to receive medical advice for minor conditions via a mobile app. Is this the start of remote GP work in the NHS?

Patient league tables

Patients will now be able to choose where they receive care in a new section of the NHS app. These decisions will be aided by publicly available league tables covering data such as quality of care and waiting times.

Integrated IT digital records

The NHS is aiming to reduce the quantity of paperwork in their hospitals, with all patients now having a 'single patient record.' This will be accessible via the NHS app for the patient and also hospital devices for staff.

Self-referrals for patients

Patients will now be able to use the NHS app to self-refer for some simpler conditions. The hope is that this decreases the burden on NHS GPs.

Transfer of red books to digital system

The red books that previously acted as a record of baby and child development will now be shifted to the NHS app. This is just another change that should make admin even easier.

Trial of new power payments

This is a new style of funding flow that will be trialled over the next decade. It will allow patients to decide whether hospitals will get the full payment for their treatment. It will likely be used to uphold a high standard of quality of care with repercussions if standards are not met.

Genome sequencing

Genome sequencing will be made available for all newborns, meaning genetic conditions can be picked up earlier and hopefully managed more efficiently.

Free health-tracking wearables

Free health wearables will be available for those who are using the preventative, chronic, or post-acute NHS services. This should lead to increased pickup of issues and also an increase in patients' knowledge of their body and condition.

1000 new specialty training posts

An increase in specialty training posts, along with the prioritisation of UK trained medics for training posts, will hopefully reduce the bottlenecks that trainees currently face. Hopefully by the time everyone reading this is a doctor, there will be far less stress when choosing a specialty!

The limitations of plans like this

It's important to note that whilst this plan shows promise, it will be hard to satisfy. The changes that are planned are simply too significant for just one government to provide. This means that once this labour government ends, their successors must also pick up the reins. They may disagree on the plan, the way it is being implemented, or the cost, meaning it could be nearly impossible to implement in full. Hopefully it will be implemented smoothly, but only time will tell.

What this means for aspiring medics

Understanding government policy regarding the NHS will always be important for aspiring medics. However, this plan in particular is crucial, as it defines exactly what your working life could look like if you were to graduate medical school in the next 6 or 7 years. Medical schools expect you to know what you are getting yourself into, and understanding this plan is an important step in showing that. Think, is there anything you would add to the plan? What does the introduction of this plan tell us about the current problems that the NHS faces?

Potential interview questions

  • What would you include in your own 10 year plan for the NHS?
  • What are the key problems the NHS currently faces? How would you fix these?
  • To what extent do you think government policy has an impact on patient quality of care?
  • You have been given a budget of £500 million, how would you spend it in the NHS?