NHS priorities for 2026/27 to 2028/29: what does it mean for the system, staff and patients? (The King's Fund, 27 October 2025)

Summary

The government has published its national NHS planning guidance – rebadged this year as the Medium Term Planning Framework. This is a suite of documents that set out the national priorities and targets for local systems for the next three years.

This is the first major document setting out performance priorities and expectations for local areas following the 10 Year Health Plan. That plan, published in July, was extremely light on implementation detail, so the publication of this guidance – shedding light on expectations for what leaders should be doing – will be met with some relief. It is also welcome that the guidance covers a three-year horizon, giving more clarity for longer, and comes much earlier in the year than planning guidance in recent memory, giving more advance notice of expectations.

This blog from the King's Fund dissects the NHS planning guidance for 2026/7 to 2028/29.