As part of the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group’s event series on the NHS 10-Year Healthcare Plan, Dr Simon Opher MP, Chair of the Health APPG, hosted an insightful discussion in Parliament on the future of community-based care in the UK.

With the NHS' newly announced 10-year plan aiming to shift care closer to where people live, this event explored how we can move from hospital-centred models to more integrated, community-led approaches. This is no small task, given the challenges posed by an ageing population, workforce shortages, and fragmented systems across the health and care sector.

The session brought together a wide range of perspectives, with speakers highlighting diverse insights and practical solutions for realising this vision. We heard from:

• William Pett, Head of Policy, Public Affairs & Research, Healthwatch England
• Dr Davina Deniszczyc, Charity and Medical Director, Nuffield Health
• Dr John Dean, Clinical Director, Royal College of Physicians
• Professor Mel Hughes, Bournemouth University
• David Wells, Chief Executive, Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS)
• Dr Antony Rapisarda, Founder and CEO OrthoDx

Attendees also had the opportunity to engage directly with Dr Sarah Felix, Head of Engagement at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), to share views and contribute to ongoing thinking around how best to deliver this transformation from hospital to community settings.

This discussion helped surface both the challenges and opportunities ahead, and reinforced the importance of collaboration across government, healthcare providers, academia and patient voices.

We heard special insights from Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Independent Pharmacies Association and remarks from Dr Tim Reed, Orchard Medical Practice.

As we are now drafting recommendations from this session to share with DHSC and relevant ministers, we welcome any further reflections or contributions. If you  would like to provide additional input, please email us at: Lavanya.rangarajan [at] policyconnect.org.uk (Lavanya[dot]rangarajan[at]policyconnect[dot]org[dot]uk) 

Thank you to all who joined us we look forward to continuing the conversation and working together to build an NHS truly fit for the future.