The NHS 10 Year Health Plan: What charities can do to help shape the ambition

Launched in July 2025, the NHS 10 Year Health Plan (10YHP) sets out a bold vision for transforming healthcare in England. With its three headline shifts – from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention – the 10YHP promises to reshape how care is delivered, accessed and funded.

For health and social care charity providers, the implications go far beyond policy headlines. This is a moment of both risk and opportunity for charities as they take steps to navigate the change.

What does the 10YHP mean for health and social care charities?

The 10YHP's emphasis on integrated neighbourhood care, digital transformation and prevention aligns closely with the missions of many charities. Yet there’s no guaranteed seat at the table for health and social care charities, despite their frontline role in supporting vulnerable communities.

The proposed abolition of Healthwatch England and integrated care partnerships (ICPs) remove key channels for independent advocacy and community voice. Meanwhile, integrated care boards (ICBs) are being reshaped into leaner, more strategic commissioners, with reduced budgets and fewer formal mechanisms for voluntary sector engagement.

Taking action now can help charities assert their relevance, secure recognition and shape local delivery models. Those that don't could risk being sidelined in a system that increasingly refers patients to underfunded services without adequate support.

Neighbourhood Health Centres: A new model of care

At the heart of the 10YHP is the rollout of Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs), community-based hubs offering GP services, diagnostics, mental health support, rehabilitation and social care referrals under one roof. These centres are designed to serve populations of 50,000 to 250,000, with extended hours and integrated teams.

For charities, this presents a strategic opportunity to embed services within local care pathways. Whether through co-location, joint commissioning or partnership agreements, charities can help deliver holistic, preventative care but only if they are formally recognised as partners. Charities will need to be involved in negotiating collaboration agreements, data-sharing protocols and contractual arrangements that protect their interests while enabling service integration.

Digital transformation

The 10YHP sets out bold and transformative goals for digital innovation, including a single patient record, expanded NHS App functionality, and AI-powered tools for clinical efficiency. While these innovations promise better coordination and access, they also risk excluding vulnerable groups, especially those with limited digital literacy, disabilities or language barriers.

Charities are uniquely placed to bridge the digital divide by offering outreach, training and advocacy. But in order to do so they must be appropriately resourced. Charities may wish to assess data protection risks, governance obligations and funding mechanisms tied to digital service delivery.

Prevention

The 10YHP’s shift from treating illness to preventing it is, perhaps, its most transformative ambition. Tackling root causes such as poverty, housing, employment and addiction requires cross-sector collaboration. And this is where charities have unique insights and capabilities, including many that do not traditionally see themselves as part of the health and social care landscape.

However, the 10YHP offers limited formal mechanisms for funding or commissioning preventative work. Referrals to “services outside the NHS” are encouraged, but without guarantees of investment or coordination.

Charities will want to consider advocating for multi-year funding, outcomes-based contracts that are appropriate in context, and for strategic partnerships that reflect their role in upstream health. These arrangements need to be structured to ensure clarity on responsibilities, liabilities and performance metrics.

The shifting commissioning landscape

The reshaping of ICBs and the move to local authority-led commissioning introduces new complexity. Strategic authorities and mayors will replace local authorities on ICBs, and neighbourhood health plans will aggregate into population-level strategies.

It is important for charities to understand the new commissioning landscape, identify decision-makers, and – crucially – engage early in planning cycles. Charities will need to be involved in:

• Tendering and procurement processes
• Contract negotiation and compliance
• Governance reviews to align with new NHS structures

Patient representation

The abolition of Healthwatch England and ICPs raises serious concerns about the loss of independent patient voice. The 10YHP proposes a National Director of Patient Experience and feedback via the NHS App, but this risks centralising control and marginalising community-led advocacy.

There is an opportunity here for charities to step into the gap by offering credible, trusted channels for patient feedback, and designing robust safeguarding frameworks, confidentiality protocols and advocacy models that meet regulatory standards while preserving independence.

Practical steps for charities

To make the most of the 10YHP, charities should consider the following:

• Identify local opportunities where Neighbourhood Health Centres are being rolled out and engage with local ICBs, councils and strategic authorities

• Review contracts and governance to ensure existing agreements are fit for purpose in the new commissioning environment, update governance structures to reflect new risks and opportunities, and consider whether the charity's purposes, as set out in its governing instrument, are flexible enough to adapt to these changes

• Build digital capacity and invest in digital inclusion initiatives and assess readiness for data-sharing and digital service delivery

• Advocate for funding and recognition by joining or forming Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) alliances to push for formal roles, funding and representation in NHS planning

• Collaborate strategically and explore joint initiatives with other charities, social care providers and NHS teams to deliver integrated, preventative care

The 10YHP is a once-in-a-generation reform which presents both risks and opportunities for health and social care charities. The challenge is to move from the margins to the mainstream not just by reacting to change, but by being involved in shaping it.

Charities will need to navigate complexity, secure their place in the new system, and build resilient, impactful partnerships. With the right strategy, governance and advocacy, charities can help deliver the 10YHP's vision and ensure that community health is not just a policy aspiration, but a reality.