Welcoming the Vision of the NHS 10-Year Plan in England
The Self-Care Forum welcomes the ambition set out in the NHS 10-Year Plan, particularly its strong focus on prevention, self-care, shared decision-making, and in tackling health inequalities. We are encouraged by the emphasis on improving access to self-care support and addressing the wider determinants of health. We fully support the Plan’s recognition that empowering individuals with the right knowledge, skills, and support is essential to improving personal and population health outcomes.
Self-care is described as a core feature of managing long-term conditions and improving outcomes. It’s also part of a wider shift in healthcare—from treating sickness to preventing it—where people are empowered to take greater control of their own health. Indeed, we see self-care as something that is a fundamental aspect of everyday life and everything we do to impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Self-care ranges from healthy lifestyle behaviours to the self-management of acute and long-term conditions, and it must be supported differently across life stages and social groups.
Understanding Barriers to Self-Care
Our collaborative research with Imperial College London’s Self-Care Academic Research Unit reveals a persistent barrier to self-care: while healthcare professionals often perceive a lack of patient engagement, our findings suggest the opposite—people do want to take more responsibility for their health, but they lack the confidence and guidance to do so.
Bridging the Self-Care Confidence Gap
To close the self-care knowledge and confidence gap, it is vital that people receive personalised and accessible health information. Equally, healthcare professionals must be equipped with the training and tools to conduct self-care-aware consultations that empower individuals and support long-term positive behavioural change. A national health literacy strategy embedded in schools, workplaces, and community settings, co-developed with local authorities and VCSE partners.
Addressing the Wider Determinants of Health
It’s no surprise that one in five GP appointments relate to non-medical drivers of ill health. We are therefore particularly pleased that the Plan recognises these crucial factors; loneliness, poor housing, and financial hardship disproportionately impact the most disadvantaged in society. Tackling these wider determinants is essential for reducing health inequalities and achieving meaningful, long-term prevention. We look forward to learning more about how neighbourhood hub services will support this ambition, and we warmly welcome the integration of the wider healthcare team—including pharmacists, who have long played a vital role in championing self-care within communities.
Embracing Innovation and Technology
We are excited by the potential of new technologies, including artificial intelligence and the expanded use of the NHS App. These innovations offer opportunities to modernise NHS services, improve efficiency, and support both patients and staff in delivering and receiving the best possible care.
A Note of Caution on Implementation
While the aspirations of the NHS 10-Year Plan are bold and commendable, we remain cautious about implementation. As an organisation with a long history of advocating for self-care, we have seen similar goals outlined in previous strategies— from the 2000 NHS Plan, the Wanless Report in 2002, which envisioned a “fully engaged” population within a generation, to the more recent 2019 NHS Long Term Plan. Many of the current aims—shared decision-making, care closer to home, and healthier lifestyle choices—are not new.
A Call for Sustained Commitment
We applaud the bold vision set out in this latest Plan. However, we urge policymakers and health leaders to ensure that these ambitions are followed by action, investment, and lasting change. Our hope is that in 10 years, we will reflect on a transformed health system where people are truly empowered, supported, and engaged in managing their own health and wellbeing.
A good and early starting point would be:
- Mandate “self-care-aware” training in all clinical education.
- Integrate self-care outcomes into ICS performance metrics.
- Fund national public education campaigns on self-care.
