How the NHS 10-year plan will transform healthcare property

Earlier this month, the government unveiled its long-awaited 10-Year Plan for the NHS—a bold vision to futureproof the health service and fundamentally reshape how and where care is delivered.

At its heart is a dramatic shift: from hospital-centred treatment to community-led, digitally enabled, and preventative care.

In this first article of a three-part series, James Lacey, Head of Public Sector Property at Vail Williams, explores what the Plan means for NHS estates—from the rise of Health Hubs to the investment and planning challenges ahead.

We discuss estate optimisation and the emergence of NHS Health Hubs as part of the solution, and what it means from a property perspective – with opportunities and challenges for developers, investors, and healthcare providers alike.

With over 25 years’ experience working with the NHS and on emerging Health Hubs, including two early Hubs in Berkshire, we also bring our experience and learnings to the fore.

Central to NHS 10-Year Plan vision is a dramatic expansion of Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs), also referred to as NHS Health Hubs.

These modern, accessible ‘one-stop shops’ will deliver everything from GP appointments to diagnostics and mental health support—reducing pressure on hospitals while improving local access to care.

But delivering this new model won’t just take clinical reform. It will require one of the most ambitious transformations of NHS property and estate in decades—acquiring, adapting and delivering new kinds of spaces at pace.

A trio of transformative shifts

Under the 10-year plan, there are three core transformational shifts:

• From hospital to community: Community healthcare infrastructure will be brought closer to home via Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs), open at least 12 hours a day, six days a week.
• From analogue to digital: There will be a unified patient record, upgraded NHS App, AI scribes, and remote consultations which will become central to NHS modernisation.
• From sickness to prevention: There will be significant emphasis on genomics, wearables, vaccinations, weight‑loss drugs, and lifestyle interventions to focus on sickness prevention.

Funding and delivery models

The scale of the changes announced is significant, with a £29–30 billion funding boost underpinning the reforms which will see more than 250–300 new NHCs planned and two new GP contracts which will support single- and multi-neighbourhood provider models.

To fund community hubs, capital investment will be redirected from hospitals  into community hubs within 3–4 years. Public–private partnerships (PPPs) may also be used to build these hubs, meanwhile Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will take charge of local estates and capital allocation.

From paper to bricks and mortar: The property angle

The Plan positions the NHS estate as central to delivering the reforms through a blend of estate optimisation and delivery of new health hubs.

As a result, there will be better utilisation of buildings and removal of under-used spaces, delivery of more carbon-efficient buildings that meet energy performance and sustainability goals, and increased access to services, with more same-day appointments, and reduced A&E pressures.

Estate optimisation: unlocking capacity and data gaps

A newly released guide by NHS Property Services found that nearly 90% of NHS leaders lack full visibility of how their estate is being used, and over half lack the data to make informed decisions. A third said they don’t have the capacity to implement change.

This highlights a critical need for better data, estate visibility, and strategic support to unlock the potential of underused NHS assets.

Piloting the model: Early Health Hub projects

In 2024, an £11.5m modular-built centre at King’s Lynn Health Hub delivered over 20 clinical rooms with an EPC A+ and net-zero carbon target, and we have seen several super-hubs – dubbed Cavell Centres – delivered regionally in places like Shropshire and Plymouth, which have seen co-located GP services with diagnostics, mental health services, rehab and Out-of-Hours  (OOH) services.

“With ICBs now responsible for local estates planning, the NHS estates transformation will require close collaboration between healthcare providers, local authorities, and experts in healthcare property strategy,” explained James.

Vail Williams has worked with Frimley ICB on estate planning to achieve planning permission for several Health Hubs in Berkshire in the last five years.  Through doing so, we have learned that the following is key to their successful delivery:

Ensuring the following is key to success:

• One Voice: A unified communication strategy that aligns with Board approvals and clearly sets out the purpose of the scheme—including which services the Hub will provide, the geographic area it will serve, and the expected impact on existing patients.
• Clear Programme: From concept to delivery, allowing enough time for unforeseen delays; feasibility; cost evaluation; planning; value engineering the scheme, and the work required by a chosen contractor prior to commencement.
• Secure Funding: Ensuring the funding is agreed and in place, with a commitment that stands the scrutiny of NHS and Local Board requirements.

What this means for developers, investors and local authorities

“This is one of the most significant healthcare estate transformations in a generation,” said James Lacey, Head of Public Sector Property at Vail Williams.

“Getting the property element right—from planning to delivery—will be critical to ensuring these hubs succeed in serving local communities.”

While it is primarily a healthcare strategy, the implications for developers, investors, and local authorities are significant—particularly around infrastructure, place-making, and partnership models.