The new 10 Year Plan: Our hopes and expectations

So, what are we hoping for in this week’s plan? We’ve singled out the four issues most vital to our charities and the people we support.

Preventing more long-term conditions

Wes Streeting set the bar high when he promised that prevention would be one of the three key shifts for the NHS. Having diabetes can put someone at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) including strokes and heart attacks, as well as a host of other serious health complications like kidney disease, sight loss and foot problems that can lead to amputations. As charities working to prevent CVD, we wholeheartedly agree with Wes. Around 70% of CVD cases are preventable and its cost to the economy is £24 billion every year.

There’s a limit to what the NHS can realistically do when diet, smoking, alcohol and exercise, plus social factors such as poverty, play such a strong part in the CVD story. Addressing these goes well beyond the NHS’ s remit and we hope to see bold commitments on cross-Government action in the Plan to support people to stay healthy, as well as treating sickness.

However, there is a lot the NHS can do with the right funding and incentives. Increasing the uptake of health checks, targeting prevention work to underserved communities and supporting people to manage their health and continue taking medications are all within its capabilities.

Tackling inequity of access to care

It’s great to hear reports that the Plan will target health inequalities. Last week’s announcement of an extra £2.2 billion for England’s most deprived communities is a big step in the right direction. We hope this targeted funding will be matched across the patient journey, addressing variable access to urgent and emergency care, specialist professional support, community rehabilitation and routine long-term condition management. These gaps are linked to profound health inequalities, for example people with diabetes in areas experiencing the greatest levels of socio-economic inequality are twice as likely to face a major amputation than those in the experiencing the least.

Promoting genuine patient power

So much about having diabetes or a stroke is isolating and disempowering. Many of the 100,000 people who have a stroke each year in the UK are left feeling shocked, overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. 60% are left with a disability. This is where our charities partner so effectively with the NHS to offer peer support, health coaching and education, emotional support, signposting and advocacy. Platforms like the NHS App offer the chance to connect people more consistently with our charities’ support after diagnosis.

A CVD plan

Our final ask is for the Plan to pave the way for a CVD action plan setting out how Government will deliver its health mission goal to cut CVD deaths by 25% by 2035. This must include conditions that commonly give rise to CVD, such as diabetes which accounts for 30% of CVD deaths. We also believe this goal should be expanded to include a 25% reduction in disability, which will benefit people living with CVD, the NHS and the wider economy. Our charities and many others in the CVD community stand ready to support this work.