First survey of grass roots doctors in England about the Government’s 10 Year Plan reveals doctors’ deep concerns about its impact on their patients and their profession.
Doctors from across England have told the BMA they are concerned that the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England may result in poorer standards of care for patients.
Ahead of today’s special meeting of the BMA’s Representative Body, thousands of grass roots doctors were surveyed for their opinions of the proposals. In a speech at the meeting, the BMA Chair of Council, Dr Tom Dolphin, will tell doctors, “We share the goal of bringing back our country’s health service from the precipice where it teeters today, “because “The NHS is far removed from what it should be,” and “Our patients rightly expect far better because they remember the NHS when it worked.”
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting is also speaking at the meeting at which Dr Dolphin will say, “Waits for hospital appointments are too often measured in years, not days and weeks. Public health has been broken by restructure and neglect, with no attempt to revive it despite the pandemic exposing how fragile our nation’s health has become.”
Those attending are keen to hear how the Health Secretary will respond to their concerns and how the Plan he is leading will fix, in the words of Dr Dolphin, “The absurd spectacle of doctors out of work,” and repair the crisis that is affecting our health service where, “Each year tens of thousands of people wait more than 24 hours to be admitted to hospital from the Emergency Department”.
Mr Streeting will be left in no doubt that doctors want a firm commitment from him that the Plan can reverse the spiralling crisis in healthcare and fix a disjointed NHS and disillusioned workforce. They will be asking, will it or can it really deliver for patients all that the Government seems to think it can?
More than half (53%) of those who took part in the survey – which had 2874 respondents – strongly supported the Plan’s promised improvements to increase specialty training places, with nearly 40% strongly supporting the proposal to increase the number of medical academics, as well as 44% strongly supporting the plans to increase opportunities for research and innovation.
And whilst most grassroots doctors (83%,) want the BMA to engage with the Plan, they were also keen that the Association pushes for improvements in areas of the Plan that concern them. The survey found that many doctors do not believe the treatment they provide can be done in the Government’s planned neighbourhood health hubs and in his speech Dr Dolphin will say the Government must be crystal clear about how they will work, particularly with so many vacancies in the NHS, and that the Government, “Will need to explain how fewer staff will be able to deliver more care through Neighbourhood Health Centres, open 24 hours a day, 6 days per week”
Another area of concern is the role of GPs and GP practices. When asked about how the proposals in the Plan would affect general practice, more than three quarters (77%) of GP respondents said it would lead to a decrease in the continuity of patient care and over 80 percent said it would decrease the independence of general practice. Dr Dolphin will say, “General Practice is the most efficient part of the health service. This is despite being neglected by successive governments, resulting in us having a smaller GP workforce today than we had in 2015,” and that, "Doctors told us, if we want to bring back the family doctor, the Government should invest in the family doctor.”
The responses to the survey, along with a series of workshops and BMA analysis of the 10 Year Plan are designed to help shape the discussion at today’s meeting which will centre around how the BMA can best try to influence further development and implementation of the Plan to the benefit of doctors and patients and THE public. Dr Dolphin will remind those attending that, “We are not just doctors; we are patients, relatives, and careers too. And neither as doctors, nor as patients, are we opposed to, or indifferent to reform.”
Notes to editors
The survey was carried out between the 10th and 20th of August 2025. There were 2874 responses.
Questions
1. Would you be willing to change your place of work to a Neighbourhood Health Centre?
Yes, I would be open to working in a Neighbourhood Health Centre
18.2% 379 responses
No, I would not want to leave my current workplace to work in a Neighbourhood Health Centre
23.3% 486 responses
I do not believe my role could be performed at a Neighbourhood Health Centre.
26.6% 554 responses
I would need more information on how the Neighbourhood Health Centre would work and any impact on my working patterns
23% 478 responses
Not applicable
9% 187 responses
2. Having heard more about the detail in the 10 Year Health Plan for England, in your view what should the BMA do next?
Oppose the 10 Year Health Plan for England in full
11.6% 180 responses
Engage with the proposals, while seeking improvements in areas of concern
83.1% 1,287 responses
Support the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan for England in full
3% 46 responses
I work in a devolved nation and do not wish to express an overall view
2.% 36 responses
3. What is your view of how the proposals in the 10 Year Health Plan for England will impact general practice? [This question was only asked of GPs]
4. The 10 Year Health Plan for England includes a wide range of proposals relating to the workforce. Please tell us the extent to which you would support or oppose the following in principle:
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