The new 10-Year Health Plan: how our Trust will help deliver better care | Press releases

This week, the Government published its new 10-Year Plan for the NHS . This plan outlines a strategic shift in how health services are delivered, with a focus on three shifts in healthcare:

1. from hospitals to communities.

2. from analogue to digital

3. from sickness to prevention.  

Th e 10-Year Health Plan call s for an emphasis on community services, making better use of technology , and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.   

David Bradley, Chief Executive of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust ( SLaM ), said: “ We welcome the direction that t he new 10 Year Health Plan sets for the NHS . Its three core priorities of improving access to community services, making better use of technology and focusing on preventing illness, aligns with our vision to place mental health care at the heart of the communities we serve. ”    

Mental ill health affects 1 in 4 people and the teams a t SLaM have been at the forefront o f modernising services through research, transformation, care and compassion . We have a genuine opportunity to build on our excellent foundations and continue  to drive the important change s highlighted in the 10 Year Health Plan forward,  helping to improve the lives of the thousands of people, families  and carers we support.

SLaM has long been a pioneer in mental health and provides  the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK, serving a local population of over 1.3 million people in South London, as well as specialist services for children and adults across the UK and beyond. Each year the Trust provide s inpatient care for over 5,000 people, and treat s more than 40,000 patients in the community in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon.  

For mental health, the plan sets out the Government’s intentions to:   

• Invest up to £120 million to develop more dedicated mental health emergency departments, to ensure patients get fast, same-day access to specialist support in an appropriate setting.    

• Expand mental health support teams in schools and colleges – and provide additional  support for children and young people’s mental health through Young Futures Hubs.

• Transform mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood  care models with greater outreach care and treatment to ensure 100% national coverage in the next decade.

SLaM  will play a key role in delivering the ambitions set out in the plan, and our focus remains on ensuring our services are responsive to the needs of our communities, driven by our commitment to high-quality patient care. Read on to learn how our services are responding to the three shifts highlighted in the 10 Year Health Plan, and how it will enable us to support better mental health for the people and communities we serve.   

Community-Based Care  

The Government t has emphasised their vision to transition care from hospital-based models to integrated community provision. In South East London, our Trust already treats the vast majority of people with mental health issues in the community, with over 40,000 patients a year being cared for by community services (compared to 5,000 treated as inpatients).  

We are leading the way in piloting new ways of delivering care in the community, enhancing local mental health services and strengthening our partnerships with primary care, social services, and voluntary sector partners.  

Case study: Piloting around the clock community mental health care in Lewisham  

SLaM is piloting a new 24/7 community mental health hub in Lewisham , thanks to fund ing worth £2.5m from NHS England . The centre will offer round-the-clock clinical care and support tailored to local needs on a walk-in basis, and deliver a wide range of services to help people experiencing mental health issues. The funding will allow SLaM to build on an extensive programme of engagement with service users, carers, clinical leaders and partner s across the voluntary and community sectors.    

Case study: Lewisham SUN Group : A blueprint for the future of crisis care  

The peer-led Service User Network (SUN) offers a compassionate alternative to A&E for those in emotional distress—no diagnosis or referral needed. Rooted in empathy and shared experience, SUN empowers people to find connection,  support, and hope when they need it most. Early results show the programme is helping to cut the length of inpatient stays an d reduce readmission.

Read more: Feel Better, Not Alone  

Accelerating Digital Transformation  

Digital tools are central to improving access and efficiency across the NHS. The 10-Year Health Plan highlights the importance of modern, interoperable systems and digital-first service models. At SLaM , we use new technology to support our service users, through the introduction of digital tools for recording clinical observations and patient data . We will continue to explore how we can keep embedding technology to improve patient care, and deliver greater efficiencies for both clinical and non-clinical staff and teams.