Beyond the waiting room: reimagining primary care for the next decade (NHS Confederation, 17 April 2025)

Summary

Primary care is often referred to as the backbone of the NHS – the place where patients show up and rely on those professionals to help them; the place where relationships and continuity make all the difference, the place that connects problems to solutions; the place that works within its means – and we know that high-performing primary care is key to improving health outcomes. 

As we look ahead to a new ten-year plan for the NHS, this is a moment of both challenge and opportunity. The world around us is changing: patients’ needs are evolving, and their expectations are rising, while the wider economic position – much of which is beyond our control – is looming large on what we do and how we do it. 

This collection of essays from primary care clinical leaders in England is not a roadmap; it is a view of what the future could look like, written by those leading and working in primary care. It is intended to support both national thinking on the content of the ten-year health plan and inspire primary care leaders to recognise the opportunities that exist if they are willing to embrace them.