Blackpool could get new Neighbourhood Health Centre as part of Government 10 Year Plan

The amenity would be a one-stop shop for care, open at least 12 hours a day, six days a week, and staffed by a team of doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, social workers, and pharmacists.

Proposals for these new centres emerged as it was confirmed that Blackpool, one of the few areas to be named, is recognised as having the “lowest healthy life expectancy in England”.

The town is to be among the first areas likely to benefit from a major overhaul of the NHS, as the Government launched its ambitious Health Plan to bring care closer to people’s homes and end health inequalities across the country.

The plan introduces a new Neighbourhood Health Service as part of the strategy.

Evidence from pilots in Derby shows that neighbourhood teams led to 2,300 fewer ambulance callouts and 1,400 fewer short hospital stays among older people in just one year.

Every £100 spent on community care could deliver £131 in hospital savings, making the system more sustainable for the long term, the Government says.

What it said about Blackpool

The plan specifically references the resort, stating: “Blackpool has the lowest healthy life expectancy in England... It has the second highest rate of looked after children and among the highest rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths... Prevention will be how we restore the means to lead a healthy life in places – like Blackpool – where it has become most difficult.”

Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, said: “Blackpool has some of the most entrenched health inequalities in the country. This plan is a clear statement of intent to put that right. A new Neighbourhood Health Centre will mean better, faster, local care – and a system that works for our community. I’m proud that this Government is prioritising towns like ours and backing prevention, not just cure.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, who visited Blackpool as part of the big launch last week, said: “Our 10-year plan will shift the focus of the NHS away from hospitals and into the community – with more care delivered closer to people’s homes. We will end the 8am scramble for GP appointments, cut waiting lists and provide more personalised care, backed by modern technology.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated: “After 14 years of neglect, our NHS is broken. This plan will get the NHS back on its feet and make it fit for the future – shifting the focus from simply treating sickness to preventing it in the first place. It’s bold, it’s fully funded, and it will deliver a Health Service that is there when people need it.”

The Government’s plans include ways to improve mental health and dentistry provision, which are issues of real concern in Blackpool and across the country.

Mental Health, Dentistry, and Prevention

• Up to £120 million will fund new mental health emergency departments to ensure same-day support in the right setting.
• Mental health support will be expanded in schools and colleges, backed by new Young Futures Hubs.
• NHS dentistry will be improved by reforming the dental contract, increasing capacity, and ensuring NHS-trained dentists give back to the system.
• A prevention agenda includes: the world-first Tobacco and Vapes Bill banning tobacco sales to anyone born after 2008; restrictions on junk food advertising, a ban on high-caffeine energy drinks for under-16s, and tougher rules on alcohol labelling; expansion of free school meals and restoration of the Healthy Start scheme; a new genomics population health service and health rewards scheme.

New NHS App

By 2028, the NHS App will allow patients to:

• Get personalised advice via My NHS GP
• Book tests and consultations through My Specialist
• Manage medicines with My Medicines
• Track long-term conditions via My Care

The Government says staff will benefit too – with AI scribes, single sign-on, and digital tools designed to reduce bureaucracy and give clinicians more time to care.