An NHS that is ‘Fit for the Future’
The 10 Year Health Plan sets out how we create a truly modern health service designed to meet the changing needs of our changing population.
The plan fundamentally reinvents our approach to healthcare, ensuring the NHS will be there for everyone who needs it - now and for generations to come.
It has been shaped by the experiences and expectations of members of the public, patients, our partners, and the health and care workforce across the country, reflecting the changes that people wanted to see.
Through the 'three shifts' - from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention - it outlines how we will personalise care, empower patients, and ensure the best of the NHS is available to all by:
- moving care from hospitals to communities
- making better use of technology
- focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it
You can read the plan on the Government's website .
At Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS) and Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C), work is already underway to meet the aims of these shifts - particularly in how we can build upon the delivery of crucial services to our communities.
Here, we highlight some of the brilliant examples of health innovation and collaboration in our communities.
Moving care from hospitals to communities
This shift is all about providing more health services in places like GP clinics, pharmacies, local health centres, and people's homes. It involves adapting or extending clinics, surgeries, and other facilities in our neighbourhoods so they can deliver services that are mostly provided in hospitals.
Read on to find out more about our community physiotherapy assessment days and our Unscheduled Care Coordination Hub (UCCH), which has successfully diverted 62% of calls from ambulance responses - significantly reducing hospital admissions.
It's also about helping people lead healthier, more independent lives, reducing the likelihood of serious illness and long hospital stays. Our Willow Therapy Unit focuses on delivering rehabilitation that helps patients regain strength, confidence, and mobility - enabling them to return home without the need for readmission.
More than one hundred patients regain confidence after stay at the new Willow Therapy Unit
Designed to support the seamless transition of patients from acute hospitals back into the community, 116 patients have already benefitted from a short stay in Willow Therapy Unit at Norwich Community Hospital.
The opening of the unit in March this year marked a significant milestone for the health and care system in Norfolk and Waveney. Unit Lead Luciano Pitasi believes the approach to patient care at the Willow Therapy Unit is helping to reduce the amount of care and support people need after discharge.
"We are using the latest therapy and rehabilitation technology and practices to prevent further deconditioning of patients and enable them to return home. Our focus is on providing active, out-of-bed care to support patient recovery and wellbeing and reduce the risk of hospital readmission."
Patients benefit from the cutting-edge NIRVANA system, developed by Gait and Motion Technology Ltd. This innovative system - never before used by the NHS in England - projects different scenes onto walls or floors for the patient to interact with. A device tracks the patient's movements and changes the scene based on their actions. The immersive approach enhances rehabilitation by fully involving the body.
Community Diagnostic Centre brings state-of-the-art facilities closer to home
Situated at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely, the brand-new Ely Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC) is a state-of-the-art facility enabling thousands of patients to quickly and efficiently access vital diagnostic services.
The site, managed by CCS, brings together services from primary, secondary, and community healthcare providers - from GP services through to specialist diagnostic and treatment services - right in the heart of the community. MRI and CT scans can now be undertaken without the need to travel to an acute hospital site such as Addenbrooke's.
Over 600 patients benefit from innovative community physiotherapy events
This year both NCH&C and CCS have run a series of assessment days in the community, providing patients with access to MSK and physiotherapy care.
NCH&C held events in Thetford, Lowestoft, Norwich, Long Stratton, and Fakenham, while CCS's specialised service held events in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
One of the key benefits of this initiative was that many patients were able to attend an appointment sooner and received personalised advice and treatment, including physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Support was also provided by a range of local organisations offering health and lifestyle guidance on topics including exercise and activity, finance, mental health and wellbeing, and diet and nutrition. Local GPs were also available at some events to offer general health advice. This holistic approach meant patients received well-rounded support to help manage their condition.
Norfolk and Waveney integrated urgent and emergency care service
NCH&C, East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH), Integrated Care 24 (IC24), Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB), Norfolk County Council (NCC), and East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) have been working together since 2023 to provide a collaborative approach to assessing patients waiting on the 999 and 111 call lists.
Based at Reed House in Norwich, the Unscheduled Care Coordination Hub (UCCH) team has been instrumental in transforming urgent and emergency care services in Norfolk and Waveney.
Many patients assessed by the UCCH require a community response. The ability to move patients to community services increases the likelihood of them receiving appropriate care that enables them to stay at home. By integrating multidisciplinary teams and providing timely, appropriate responses, the UCCH has significantly improved patient outcomes.
Since its launch, the UCCH has diverted 62% of calls from ambulance responses, enabling patients to receive care at home and reducing hospital admissions. It has managed over 22,000 patients, preventing more than 10,000 unnecessary ambulance dispatches.
Making better use of technology
The 10 Year Plan outlines a drive to create a seamless healthcare experience through digital innovation. A unified patient record will eliminate repetition, while AI-enhanced doctor services and specialist self-referrals via the NHS app will improve access. Online booking will help ensure equitable NHS access nationwide.
CCS's commitment to inclusive, patient-centred care led to the development of an innovative digital tool designed to routinely collect key information from patients aged 13 and over. This simple yet effective approach has enabled staff to better understand each individual's needs and tailor support accordingly.
Both CCS and NCH&C provide successful Virtual Wards in local communities, allowing people to receive hospital-level monitoring and treatment at home. Using remote monitoring technology, patients with respiratory, frailty, and heart failure conditions are trained to use a device that sends continuous or intermittent observations - including breathing, heart rate, and skin temperature - directly to our virtual ward teams.
If there is a sign of health deterioration, such as rising blood pressure, the virtual ward team gets an immediate alert. Staff can then contact the patient by phone or video call to discuss any changes and decide on the most appropriate next steps. This helps prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
In 2024/25, NCH&C's Community Virtual Ward helped 79% of patients discharged from the service avoid admission to acute or community hospitals, saving over 4,500 bed days.
During the same period, CCS's Frailty Virtual Ward averted an estimated 90 A&E presentations and 60 admissions monthly, saving 1,236 bed days through timely discharges.