In an age where digital innovation is reshaping every corner of our lives, the NHS is embarking on a bold transformation that places technology and collaboration at the heart of its future. The newly announced NHS 10-Year Plan marks a significant turning point: a vision where the NHS and leading tech organisations work together to deliver smarter, more efficient care. Central to this evolution is the changing role of community pharmacists, who are set to move beyond traditional dispensing and become vital clinical leaders within their communities. Ashley Kilgas, Chief Commercial Officer at Centred Solutions, looks at how the NHS’s renewed focus on technology and partnership will empower pharmacists to take on more proactive, patient-facing roles and why this shift is critical to the long-term sustainability and success of the NHS.
The NHS is about to enter a bold new era. Under the newly revealed 10-Year Plan, the NHS will retain its founding values of universal care while embracing the power of technology and innovation to reinvent how it delivers healthcare. At the heart of this transformation lies a new commitment to work in partnership with technology companies and other partners. This is a move that promises to unlock massive potential across the health system. For many years technology companies have been crying out to work more in partnership with the NHS and share their extensive knowledge to help transform patient services and care. While the NHS has a wealth of clinical knowledge, it doesn’t necessarily have the same level of expertise when it comes to technology.
Among the most significant changes outlined in the plan is a reimagining of the role of community pharmacists. The aim is to shift pharmacists from behind the dispensing desk to the front line of clinical care in new neighbourhood health centres.
Today, the NHS lags behind other sectors in technological adoption. But that is set to change. The new NHS Plan aims to move from being a slow adopter to a global leader in health tech. Instead of developing digital solutions in isolation, the NHS will form collaborations with commercial tech partners and innovators. These partnerships will fuel the development and rollout of digital tools, automated systems and AI-enabled platforms to support patient care.
Over the next two years, health providers will be supported to implement technology designed to eliminate unnecessary administrative and clerical work with a view to freeing up healthcare professionals so they can spend more time caring for patients. This shift could release resources equivalent to £13 billion, a figure that could rise dramatically as digital tools evolve.
Up until recently, community pharmacies have been associated purely with dispensing medication. With the introduction of schemes like Pharmacy First, that has started to change. As well as improving patient choice and convenience, there is now strong evidence that a bigger role for pharmacy can deliver efficiencies and support financial sustainability. The 10-Year Plan has embraced this and now envisions something much more ambitious for community pharmacy. As healthcare moves closer to people’s homes and communities, through multi-disciplinary neighbourhood health centres, community pharmacists will play a central role in delivering clinical services.
Pharmacists are uniquely placed to provide care in the heart of local communities. And now, with the support of technology and policy reforms, they will:
This expanded role will not only improve access to care but also enhance patient outcomes and reduce pressure on other parts of the health system.
Technology and new dispensing workflows will be key to creating the capacity within community pharmacy to deliver this increased clinical workload. The plan reaffirms the commitment to modernise the dispensing of prescriptions over the next five years, including:
This shift won't replace pharmacists, it will empower them. With less time spent on routine dispensing tasks, pharmacists can focus on providing personalised, clinical support to patients in line with the overarching theme of the plan.
Technology will supplement, not replace, the human side of the NHS. It will reduce red tape, improve efficiency, and create more time for meaningful, face-to-face care. By supporting clinical staff, including pharmacists, to work at the top of their licence, the system becomes more resilient, efficient, and patient-focused.
Crucially, adoption of innovation will now be a key metric in how NHS providers are evaluated. The new operating model will support the growth of the industries working with the NHS on their health mission. Adoption of innovation will be a criterion for how providers and commissioners are judged under a new regime of earned autonomy.
The NHS 10-Year Plan signals a once-in-a-generation transformation, one where cutting-edge technology, clinical innovation and compassion come together. For community pharmacists, this is a moment of opportunity. They are set to become essential clinicians within the Neighbourhood Health Service, delivering frontline care and helping the NHS rise to the challenges of the future. The NHS isn’t just modernising, it’s redefining what healthcare can be.