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Poor comms and political risk: The NHS Plan’s leak tells a bigger story

Healthcare | 08 Jul 2025 | Public Affairs
Hannah Sneath Small
Hannah Sneath

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The NHS 10 Year Plan was finally published last week… or at least what is left of it. The Plan, which was leaked to the Health Service Journal the week before it was due to come out, received a pretty nasty write up, and was branded “a mess”. The draft plan landing in the hands of the HSJ rather the broadsheet nationals where scoops from HMT or No.10 are usually found might suggest some strong-arming from senior officials in DHSC at the very top of the food chain.

It’s worth thinking back to the Spending Review, when it was rumored we’d get the plan (after it was delayed from the spring) but later finding out that publication date was reset for the NHS anniversary on the 7th July, only for the government to push it out a week earlier to try and dominate the headlines away from a shambolic Welfare Bill U-turn followed by an even worse PMQs. Wes Streeting’s team have struggled to push this out effectively, with the media far more interested in views on the future of Rachel Reeves. It’s safe to say that the comms plan didn’t prevail.

A good example of the level of uncertainty around the plan was the leak on a potential introduction of restrictions on alcohol advertising before the 9pm watershed which, as we eventually discovered, was not included in the 10 Year Plan.

 

The virtues and vices of letting it leak

Leaks are nothing new in Westminster, an overnight scoop from a journalist is what ensures the steady drumbeat of engaging news and big headlines. But this wasn’t just a single scoop, it was a constant drip. Before the official launch, we’d already seen headlines on the greater use of AI for GPs, mandatory supermarket health targets, and neighborhood health services.

While selective leaks can help shape narratives and spotlight key issues, the scale of this one suggests deeper instability at the top of DHSC. Trust and discipline are essential in any top team, and this episode raises real questions about internal control.

The risk? Tighter access to ministers, special advisers, and officials, just when open engagement is most needed and businesses have a lot to say. This is ever more true against rumours of reshuffles and reported measures to prevent senior officials and arms-length bodies participating in public engagement without their comments being properly vetted. Despite claims of tight security during the Plan’s development, the leaks point to a lack of grip behind the scenes.

 

Where next – to delivery and beyond?

It’s been a tough week for the government, but not an unrecoverable one. A year since their landslide election win, the government has got a lot of work to do to win back hearts and minds of disenchanted voters and fight off threats from the likes of Reform UK. Delivering real improvements to the NHS could be a powerful way to do that – it’s just a shame that the delivery chapter for the Plan went awol.

Public service reform is a central component of the government’s manifesto, but the level of spending required to drive the reforms outlined in the 10 Year Plan must be examined against the wider political troubles facing Labour at the moment. More tough decisions will have to be made by Keir Starmer and his very ambitious health secretary, and we’ve seen of late that the Parliamentary Labour Party will put harsh pressure on any government plans it deems categorically unacceptable.

This Plan joins a long line of health strategies that have struggled to deliver lasting reform. But with bold promises on digital transformation and financial incentives, all eyes now turn to the delivery plan due later this year. The wait continues.