This year, the Government has unveiled a 10-year-plan to reshape how care is delivered by the NHS in England, prioritising community-based care with a shift from hospitals to neighbourhood health hubs, and a new focus on digital transformation and integration across providers.
The plan is focused around three shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. These key areas of focus are designed to improve the current system by creating better access to health and care and improving efficiencies for staff.
The government has committed to ensuring that by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs or long-term conditions will have a co-produced, personalised care plan, a significant increase from the current 20% of people living with a long-term condition.
For private and community healthcare providers, the plan signals new opportunities, however heightened expectations around digital readiness, operational agility, and data alignment come with this too.
A Shift to Community-Centred Health Hubs
Designed to reduce pressure on hospitals and improve access to care closer to home, neighbourhood health centres will be introduced, with these hubs offering GP, pharmacy, mental health, rehab, and diagnostic services 12 hours, six days a week. Community and independent providers will play a key role in this delivery, particularly in underserved areas.
Implications for Operational Readiness
The plan will come with many implications, including an increase in patient volumes for providers, and tighter service-level expectations, which will ultimately put increased pressure on ‘back-office’ systems, including stock control, procurement, and reporting.
Digital Systems & Interoperability
As part of the plan, the NHS App will play a greater role, becoming a “doctor in your pocket” which will give patients more control over appointments, prescriptions, and self-monitoring, with the patients’ full health record also available within the app.
It is essential for providers to align with NHS digital infrastructure, including EPRs, GS1/Peppol standards, and referral systems, in order to keep up with this transformation.
The Independent Sector’s Growing Role in NHS Care Delivery
In January this year, the Department of Health & Social Care and independent providers made a commitment to one million additional appointments/treatments per year.
In order to participate in these contracts, independent providers will need to demonstrate scalability, transparency, and digital compatibility. Data-sharing, usage reporting, and system integration will be essential for eligibility.
Inventory Management as an Enabler of Digital Readiness
As providers experience a significant rise in pressure, ‘back-office’ functions, like stock control, will play a key role in supporting data visibility, cost control, and preparedness.
Systems that are GS1-compliant, cloud-based, and integrated with clinical systems will be increasingly vital, as inventory data is essential for broader interoperability including traceability, reporting, and shared service delivery.
Sector Response and Emerging Priorities
Community care leaders have recently shared their views on the plan and the roles they will play, with many calling for more clarity, practical support, and technology that reduces admin instead of adding to it.
Read more about the sector’s response in this article: Sector response to NHS 10 Year Health Plan – Care Management Matters
The new plan is already reshaping how care is commissioned and delivered. For community and private care providers, being digitally aligned and operationally efficient will be crucial for long-term success.
Providers must be equipped to adapt, particularly in areas like stock visibility, system integration, and scalable digital infrastructure.
See how we recently helped a community care provider improve digital readiness and inventory visibility: KMsoft Partners with HCRG Care Group on Community Healthcare Inventory Management Solution
