The NHS 10-Year Plan presents a bold vision for the future of healthcare delivery- one rooted in localised, integrated services delivered closer to the communities they serve.
For local authorities, this shift has far-reaching implications, not just for health and social care, but for placemaking, planning policy and regeneration.
At Vail Williams, our public sector property specialists are already helping local authorities, NHS bodies and development partners navigate these complex changes, unlocking value and creating sustainable healthcare infrastructure for the future. Here is some of what we have learned along the way, as Head of Public Sector, James Lacey, explores.
A call for closer integration
At the heart of the NHS 10-Year Plan is the drive towards more integrated care systems (ICSs), bringing together local councils, health services and social care providers to deliver more coordinated services.
This presents a huge opportunity for:
- Shared estates – Enabling multi-agency use of public sector buildings to improve efficiency.
- Community-centric place-making – Designing neighbourhoods that support health and wellbeing through joined-up infrastructure.
- Co-location of services – Improving access to care and reducing estate inefficiencies.
As ICSs mature, local authorities will increasingly need to plan and deliver services in partnership with NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) – with health infrastructure becoming an essential component of wider regeneration. ICBs are evolving and the next thought leadership will be released here.
Strategic planning must evolve
The Plan highlights the need to bring health into the heart of local planning decisions.
Local Plans, regeneration frameworks and infrastructure delivery plans must:
- Align with NHS population health priorities,
- Address health inequalities through access to care and green space, and
- Incorporate data from Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs).
For planning authorities, this means engaging with NHS partners earlier and embedding health-led regeneration principles into spatial strategies.
