What The New 10 Year Health Plan Means for Our Communities

The government has launched its long-awaited 10 Year Health Plan for England, titled “Fit for the Future.” This major policy sets out how NHS services will transform over the next decade—bringing care closer to home, prioritising prevention, and tackling health inequalities.

At Forum Central, we’re committed to ensuring that the voices of communities across Leeds and West Yorkshire are heard loud and clear in this national conversation.

What’s in the NHS 10 Year Plan?

Announced by the Prime Minister in June 2024, the plan outlines how health and care services will be redesigned to:

• Shift more care into community and neighbourhood settings

• Integrate services around the needs of the person, not the system

• Address the wider social factors that affect our health

• Strengthen local partnerships, especially with the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector

Read the full plan on GOV.UK
View the Easy Read version here

What Does It Mean for West Yorkshire?

Locally, the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) has already been gathering insight from people and communities about what matters most. Their findings helped shape national recommendations, and the new plan aligns closely with work already underway in our region.

See what WY HCP has found out so far

Key themes include:

• Improving mental health services

• Reducing health inequalities

• Supporting unpaid carers

• Creating healthier environments

• Strengthening the role of local community organisations

What Happens Next?

Forum Central will continue to work alongside VCSE partners, NHS colleagues and local authorities to amplify community voice and ensure that change is rooted in what people actually need.

We will be updating our Neighbourhood Health Position papers in line with this new insight from the NHS plan and we welcome feedback from our members and third sector organisations in Leeds on these draft papers.

Please contact Pip if you’d like to discuss this, or email hello@forumcentral.org.uk with your thoughts.

As always, we will champion equity, inclusion and collaboration—making sure that the health system truly works for everyone.

Want to understand how this fits into the wider NHS structure?
Check out this useful visual guide