Why we need a five year strategic plan
Find out how our five year strategic plan will affect how people access care, where care is delivered and how services can work together for the benefit of Kent and Medway residents.
Health and care in Kent and Medway are at a turning point
People are living longer, but many are spending more of those years in poor health. Where you live still has a huge impact on how healthy you are - life expectancy can differ by more than ten years between neighbourhoods. More people are living with long‑term conditions, mental health needs are rising, and hospitals are under constant pressure. At the same time, the NHS is facing serious financial challenges.
If we continue to do things the same way, these problems will grow. Waiting times will stay too long, inequalities will widen, and services will struggle to keep up.
That's why we are developing a new Five-Year Strategic Plan for all NHS organisations in Kent and Medway (2026-2031) . It sets out how we need to change now so that health and care services are fit for the future - fairer, more sustainable, and focused on what matters most to people.
At its heart, this plan is about a major shift:
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from reacting to illness to preventing it
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from hospital‑first care to more care in neighbourhoods and at home
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from fragmented services to joined‑up support around people's lives
What matters most to you
We want to understand what people value most about health and care, what works well, and what doesn't - especially for groups who experience the poorest health outcomes or face barriers to access.
How care is delivered closer to home
We are designing new neighbourhood‑based ways of working, where different professionals work together around communities. Public insight can shape:
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what “good access” looks like
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how services should fit around everyday life
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how neighbourhood services should support carers, families and people with complex needs
Priorities for prevention and early help
We are shifting resources upstream - towards prevention, early support and keeping people well for longer. Public feedback helps guide where effort and investment should be focused.
What is not being consulted on
Some things are set nationally and cannot be changed locally, such as overall NHS funding levels, national standards, and legal duties. We are also not asking people to comment on individual clinical decisions.
Instead, we want help in shaping priorities, approaches and choices within those constraints - and making sure decisions reflect real lived experience.
How your input will be used
Your views will not sit on a shelf.
What people tell us will be:
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Analysed alongside data and evidence about health needs and inequalities
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Used to shape commissioning decisions, service redesign and neighbourhood plans
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Reflected in the five-year strategy and the delivery plans that sit under it
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Shared transparently, including what we heard and what we are doing as a result
Public insight will continue to be used throughout implementation - not just at the start. As services change, we will keep listening, learning and adjusting.