Keir Starmer’s new NHS plan moves care from hospitals to local centres open 12 hours a day

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled an ambitious 10-year plan to transform the NHS by shifting vast amounts of care out of hospitals and into local community centres—an overhaul he says will “put care on people’s doorsteps”.

Speaking at a launch event in London on Thursday alongside Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Starmer declared the health service must “reform or die”, pledging that the new model will give patients easier access to GPs, scans and mental health services—delivered closer to home and outside traditional hospital settings.

The strategy promises to set up “neighbourhood health centres” open 12 hours a day, six days a week. These hubs will house GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and social care professionals, alongside specialists in employment and debt advice. Some services typically handled by hospitals, like diagnostic scans and post-operative rehab, will now be provided locally.

“Our 10-year health plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS,” Starmer said. “It’s about shifting the system so it fits around people’s lives, not the other way round.”

The plan, described as a “radical reset”, also promises two other “big shifts”: embedding technology deeper into the health service and placing far more emphasis on preventing illness before it needs treating.

Wes Streeting, writing in The Guardian, warned the current NHS model is unsustainable. “It really is change or bust,” he said. “We choose change.”

Labour has pledged a £52 billion funding boost for the NHS, but experts and former ministers are already raising doubts about whether that’s enough to make this vision a reality.

Steve Brine, a former Conservative health minister, questioned whether the government has “the stomach to embark on the kind of transformation they say is required.” He added: “Whether this plan, and the funding secured, is enough for people to feel the difference remains an open question.”

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) admitted that while the centres will eventually operate evenings and weekends, that rollout will take time. Health thinktanks echoed concerns, saying the lack of detail on where these centres will be, who will staff them, and when they’ll open leaves the timeline murky.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King’s Fund, welcomed the concept but struck a cautious tone. “The vision itself is not new—successive governments have said similar,” she noted. “The radical change would be delivering the vision.”

Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said creating a truly localised health system would require political bravery and deep institutional reform. “This is hard, complex work,” she said, warning it would require NHS leadership and “challenging power dynamics”.

Public frustration over delays in seeing GPs, long hospital waits, and slow emergency care has fuelled demand for a shake-up. Starmer, who campaigned on fixing the NHS, is under pressure to deliver results fast—but the reforms outlined in the 143-page document are unlikely to show visible effects any time soon.

Despite broad political support for a more community-driven NHS, ministers risk backlash if hospitals are seen to be downgraded or closed in the process.

Nevertheless, Streeting insists the new model is not just necessary, but inevitable. “We reject the idea that universal healthcare is unaffordable in the 21st century,” he said. “The public do too.”

The next stage will involve selecting pilot locations, launching workforce recruitment, and determining funding channels for the promised centres. The success—or failure—of this transformation may well define the future of the NHS under Labour.

BBC

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled a 10-year plan to “fundamentally rewire” the NHS in England by shifting millions of treatments out of hospitals and into 200 new neighbourhood health hubs. Staffed by GPs, nurses, social workers, and mental health specialists, the centres aim to provide faster, localised care, with many outpatient services delivered closer to home by 2035.

The plan includes extended opening hours, door-to-door outreach, and wraparound services such as debt advice and weight management. However, health bodies including the Royal College of Nursing and the BMA warn the strategy risks failure without urgent investment in workforce and infrastructure.

A £29bn NHS budget boost will fund the changes, with a separate staffing plan due later. Measures include mandatory NHS service for new dentists, AI for GP notes, and expanded dental therapist roles. Critics argue the vision, while bold, lacks clarity on staffing, funding, and implementation, risking becoming another unfulfilled NHS reform pledge.

THE TELEGRAPH

Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled Labour’s 10-year plan to reform the NHS, pledging a six-day “neighbourhood health service” with one-stop centres led by GPs and open 12 hours daily. The centres will deliver diagnostics, post-op care, and even employment and weight management support, aiming to shift services from overcrowded hospitals into communities.

The initiative includes a push for AI, remote monitoring, and mandatory NHS service for new dentists. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a “fundamental reset” to cut hospital waiting lists. But critics say the plan lacks ambition, noting past failures to deliver a seven-day NHS and warning that digital-first approaches could exclude vulnerable patients.

With NHS waiting lists still at 7.39 million and GP shortages persisting, experts remain sceptical about implementation. Previous polyclinic schemes failed amid resistance from doctors. While ministers promise thousands more GPs and AI-driven efficiencies, concerns persist that without bold staffing and funding reforms, Labour’s plan may fall short of its transformative claims.