5 ways your NHS treatment could change as Starmer promises 'doctor in your pocket' app
The new plan sets out how the NHS will move from analogue to digital, from treatment to prevention, and from hospital to community care.
The "status quo of hospital by default will end", according to the government, with care shifted into neighbourhoods and people's homes.
Most outpatient care will take place outside of hospitals by 2035, with less need for hospital-based appointments for things like cardiology and mental health.
Other measures include a rollout of new neighbourhood health services across the country to bring tests, post-op care, nursing and mental health teams closer to people's homes.
The aim is to give people access to a full range of services, leaving hospitals to focus on the sickest, with neighbourhood health centres open at evenings and weekends.
Here, Yahoo News UK outlines five key changes in the government plans.
The plans aim to shift the majority of outpatient care from hospitals to community settings by 2035, reducing the need for hospital-based appointments for services like eye care, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and mental health.
New "neighbourhood health centres" will house teams of experts including doctors, nurses and mental health specialists, to deliver diagnostics, post-op care, and rehabilitation closer to patients' homes.
This shift is part of the government's broader goal to reduce hospital waiting lists, which stood at 7.42 million at the end of March this year, by allowing hospitals to focus on emergency and complex cases.
The plan involves transforming outpatient services so that scans, mental health checks, and follow-up appointments occur in local hubs, potentially open 12 hours a day, six days a week. They could be managed in high street surgeries or community settings to reduce patient travel and hospital overcrowding.
The government is aiming to widen access to weight loss jabs beyond obese people who can currently get them on the NHS.
Currently, eligibility is restricted to those with a BMI over 35, but it could be widened to people with lower BMI or those more at risk of serious health conditions from being overweight.
These injections, which essentially reduce someone's appetite, have shown significant results in weight reduction and reducing the risks of obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
The initiative will likely involve community-based prescribing through neighbourhood health centres, integrating weight management with other services like dietary advice and exercise programs.
A new 'My Choices' feature on the NHS app will allow people to find everything from their nearest pharmacy, to the best-rated providers for heart, hip or knee surgery.
The government says it will provide a range of data on providers across the country, such as which delivers the shortest waits, has the best patient outcomes, the best patient satisfaction scores, or is the closest to home.
The aim is that anyone can pick care based on their own preferences, while people who want to be sent to their local provider will be sent as a default.
It seeks to address health inequalities by giving poorer communities the same access to information as wealthier patients.
Speaking about the plan, the prime minister said the app will be "like having a doctor in your pocket", ready to provide patients with 24-hour advice, as well as booking appointments and ordering prescriptions.
DIY cervical cancer screening kits to improve access and convenience for women are among the plans, reducing the need for hospital or GP visits.
These kits, which allow self-collection of samples at home, aim to increase screening uptake, particularly among those in deprived or rural areas who face barriers to traditional appointments.
The initiative builds on efforts to streamline cervical screening, with the government announcing easier booking processes and fewer appointments for lower-risk women.
By 2020, HPV primary screening was implemented across England, and DIY kits are expected to further enhance early detection of high-risk HPV strains linked to cervical cancer.
Mental health patients will be able to self-refer for talking therapies through the NHS app. This will allow patients to access mental health support without needing a GP referral.
As a result, the government hopes waiting times will be reduced, while more people - especially children and young people - will be able to access mental health services.
By 2025/26, the NHS wants to increase access to mental health services, with plans to recruit 8,500 additional staff to support adults and children, including those at risk of suicide.
Self-referral via the NHS app is part of a broader shift to digital tools, enabling patients to book appointments and manage care directly.
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