Health Management and Policy Alert

Can the ten-year health plan deliver on its promise?

NHS Confederation -
For over a decade, levels of NHS funding and staff have struggled to keep up with demand. Delivering effective care looks very different when an increasing number of us are living with multiple complex conditions. These challenges have contributed to poor operational performance and eroded public trust. This long read examines whether the ten-year health plan can deliver on its ambitious promise.

• NHS Confederation - long read

Diverging paths: how other countries have designed and implemented assisted dying

Nuffield Trust -
As the assisted dying Bill returns to the House of Commons next week, this analysis offers evidence from a wide range of contexts to further inform the debate. What can the UK learn from other countries that have legalised assisted dying? This long read explores assisted dying policies across 15 jurisdictions in 9 countries, highlighting practical and operational differences in implementation, and how these systems have evolved.

• Long read

Prescription for outpatients: reimagining planned specialist care

Royal College of Physicians -
Outpatient care is the second most used NHS service in a patient's lifetime – in 2023/24, there were over 135 million outpatient appointments – yet it is associated with delays, poor communication and confusion caused by trying to navigate services. Following engagement with patients, health care professionals and NHS England, the Royal College of Physicians – in partnership with the Patients Association – has set out a vision to transform planned specialist care over the next decade, stating that it is currently inefficient and not fit for purpose.

• Report
• Royal College of Physicians - press release

What should national policy-makers do to make care closer to home a reality?

The King's Fund -
As part of its 10 Year Health Plan, the government plans to shift care from hospital to community and integrate neighbourhood health services. This long read examines the policy levers available to any government wishing to reform health and care services.

• Long read

Abolishing NHS England: what you need to know

NHS Confederation - 

This briefing sets out the key points from developments confirming the abolishment of NHS England.

• Briefing

Metromentum: taking Strategic Authorities from patchwork to powerhouse

Reform -
This report discusses the new Strategic Authorities that are being rolled out across the country. They are intended to drive local economic growth, bring about better public services, and add a strategic capability. This report aims to set out a practical roadmap for realising the full potential of Strategic Authorities by evolving them to become more decisive, accountable, and capable.

• Reform
• Reform - publications

Exploring public views on assisted dying in England: final report: full analysis of Citizens’ Jury and survey findings

Nuffield Council on Bioethics -
This report brings together evidence and insights from England’s first Citizens’ Jury on assisted dying and two nationally representative surveys. It aims to give insight into the underlying factors that influence how people living in England think and feel about assisted dying and what their priorities are regarding a possible change in the law.

• Report
• Nuffield Council on Bioethics - publications

Local government reorganisation: evaluating the financial impact of population thresholds

County Councils Network -
In December 2024, the government’s English Devolution White Paper outlined plans for an overhaul of council structures, with government committing to end ‘two-tier’ local government, replacing 185 county and district councils with new unitary authorities in 21 areas. This analysis backs up government proposals for the creation of new unitary councils in England but argues that new authorities must cover areas of ‘at least’ 500,000 people or more in order to save billions and free up investment into local services.

• Report
• County Councils Network - news

Labour’s 10-year plan for the NHS in England: what should it look like?

Health Foundation - 

Pressures on the NHS are severe and the new government is producing a 10-year plan for reform to make the health service ‘fit for the future’. Policy-makers have a long history of producing long-term plans for the NHS. But implementation has been mixed, and the political context, including levels of public spending and policy approach, has shaped their impact. This briefing looks at previous NHS long-term plans and draws on relevant evidence on NHS reform to identify priorities for the latest plan, due in the spring. It argues that government must provide hope, clarity, investment and focus on how change will happen in practice.

• Briefing

English Devolution White Paper​: power and partnership: foundations for growth

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government -
This White Paper sets out the government’s plans to widen and deepen devolution across England, providing mayors with unprecedented powers and funding and hardwiring them into the way government works. It also outlines how the government will rebuild and reform local government, as the foundation for devolution, reset the relationship between central and local government, and give communities stronger tools to shape the future of their local areas, while improving accountability and building capacity across the local government sector.

• White Paper
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - publications