The government’s newly unveiled strategy to modernise the NHS, Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, marks a decisive shift in how and where care will be delivered.
At the heart of the plan is a bold commitment to radically reshape the NHS’s healthcare estate, with a particular focus on creating Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs).
The plan describes the NHCs as a modern, community-based solution aimed at easing pressure on hospitals and improving access to integrated local care.
A new tier of healthcare infrastructure
The plan pledges to deliver 250–300 Neighbourhood Health Centres over the next decade, offering a fresh approach to primary and community care.
These centres are designed to be modern, multipurpose buildings where patients can access a broad range of services closer to home, reducing unnecessary visits to hospitals and relieving A&E departments already stretched beyond capacity.
Each NHC will typically provide:
- GP services
- Mental health support
- Diagnostics (such as blood tests, X-rays, and scans)
- Rehabilitation and physiotherapy services
- Social care referrals
- Outpatient consultations from hospital specialists
These centres will operate extended hours, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, to offer better flexibility and convenience for local communities.
The plan pledges to deliver 250–300 Neighbourhood Health Centres over the next decade
Welcoming the plan, Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association, said: "Health does not begin in hospitals – it begins in homes, streets, parks, and schools. The NHS cannot deliver a healthier society on its own. This is why we are urging ministers to set up a new national-local coalition to help deliver these neighbourhood health models that put prevention and place at the heart of public services.”
Neighbourhood Health Centres are expected to cost between £2 million and £20 million each, depending on scale and services provided.
They will be developed using modern, efficient construction methods, an approach explicitly encouraged by the plan to reduce build times, minimise disruption, and ensure consistent design standards across the estate.
This neighbourhood-focused infrastructure forms part of a broader, long-term commitment to the physical health estate.
They will be developed using modern, efficient construction methods
The government has pledged a multi-year capital settlement for the NHS, recognising that modern, safe, and accessible premises are essential to the future sustainability of the health service.
The capital investment framework outlined in the plan supports both the construction of new facilities and the refurbishment of outdated, unsafe buildings, some dating back to before the NHS was founded.
While much public attention has centred on the high-profile New Hospital Programme, which remains a vital part of the infrastructure strategy, the 10-Year Plan highlights that hospitals alone cannot solve the NHS’s operational challenges.
Instead, NHCs will act as first-line community health hubs, designed to catch conditions early, manage chronic diseases locally, and divert demand away from acute hospitals.
The 10-Year Health Plan marks a long-overdue recognition that healthcare buildings are as crucial as technology or workforce in delivering better healthcare outcomes
This shift reflects both changing patient expectations and a strategic move towards more preventative, integrated, and personalised care pathways.
Andrew New, Chief Executive of NHS Supply Chain, said: “We welcome today’s Government publication of the NHS Ten Year Health Plan.
“As the NHS continues to evolve through its three strategic shifts – moving care closer to communities, embracing digital innovation, and focusing on prevention – NHS Supply Chain is strategically aligned with these national priorities and is playing a vital role in supporting this transformation.
“We’re actively expanding our capabilities to enable care outside of hospital settings. We’re streamlining digital processes and enabling remote diagnostics, which improves efficiency.
“Additionally, we are leveraging our data to support system-wide optimisation and enable remote monitoring solutions.
“Examples of how we’re already working in partnership with national and local teams across the country to support the plan’s priorities include providing the NHS with vital equipment for community diagnostic centres, supplying cutting edge machines to hospitals such as DEXA scanners which diagnose osteoporosis, and radiography machines for the treatment of patients with cancer. Other initiatives include digital mammography and value-based procurement.
“As our organisation changes to meet the evolving needs of the NHS, we remain committed to delivering quality, safe, sustainable, resilient products and supply chains to contribute to a more sustainable, resilient and future-ready healthcare system.”
Looking ahead
The 10-Year Health Plan marks a long-overdue recognition that healthcare buildings are as crucial as technology or workforce in delivering better healthcare outcomes.
Neighbourhood Health Centres stand out as a central pillar of this vision, not just as new bricks-and-mortar projects, but as symbols of a more accessible, community-rooted NHS.
As capital funding frameworks, site approvals, and planning pipelines are formalised in the coming months, these centres will offer significant opportunities for healthcare architects, planners, and construction specialists to help shape the future face of England’s health service.
In the coming years, the success of the 10-Year Plan may well hinge not just on the number of doctors or the speed of diagnostics, but on whether patients can access high-quality, integrated care on their own doorstep.