Latest News

The new NHS 10-Year Plan lays out an ambitious blueprint to pull the health service out of financial difficulties, rebuild public trust, and make it fit for the future. It seeks nothing less than a radical overhaul - keeping the NHS’s founding principles intact but transforming how care is delivered on the ground.

Three Major Shifts  

If implemented well, each of the three shifts could be very positive for the VCSE sector in Gloucestershire. For years the sector has been calling for more services being provided at a local and hyperlocal level and highlighting the importance of the community in supporting people’s health. Additionally, the VCSE sector is the expert around prevention, and we should welcome an approach that values prevention over treatment. 

1. From Hospital to Community

• A Neighbourhood Health Service will put more care into homes and local hubs. 
• New Neighbourhood Health Centres in every community - combining GPs, mental health support, diagnostics, and community services under one roof, open 12 hours a day, six days a week.
• Personal health budgets and care plans tailored to individuals.
• Closer integration with the VCSE sector, councils, and social care providers.

2. From Analogue to Digital 

• The NHS App will evolve into a “doctor in your pocket,” letting patients manage appointments, prescriptions, and care plans.
• A Single Patient Record will enable joined-up, proactive care.
• AI and wearables will reduce admin and help spot problems sooner.

3. From Sickness to Prevention

• Action on smoking, obesity, food policy, and children’s health.
• A focus on early screening and tackling health inequalities.
• Investment in mental health support for young people.

This 10-Year Plan provides some exciting opportunities along with real risks for Gloucestershire’s VCSE sector. If implemented well, it could create more joined-up, community-led care and give local people more control over their health – all of which, the VCSE sector could play an integral role in. However, the reduction of ICBs and a move towards regional decision making could mean that much-needed local influence and nuance in service design is lost.

Ultimately, the intent set out within the Plan and many aspects of it are what the sector has been lobbying for for some time. Choice, localism and prevention are all aspects of health and wellbeing that are central to the VCSE sector ethos and its delivery. But like any strategic document, its success or failure will be determined by the methods of implementation. To achieve the ambitions within this document partnership working, funding and trust in the VCSE sector are essential. 

Warm regards
Matt Lennard (CEO)