If the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan are to be achieved, we must embed personalised care within services. Evidence shows that personalised care achieves better health outcomes and improves patient satisfaction and adherence to treatments. It places individuals at the heart of decision-making, empowers them to take control of their health, and ensures services are tailored to their unique circumstances and needs. However, without a strategic focus on equipping health and care professionals with the necessary skills through comprehensive training and education, these aspirations risk falling short.
The challenges facing our health and social care system are well-documented. Rising rates of chronic conditions, widening health inequalities, and increasing demand on services mean the need for effective, sustainable solutions has never been greater. Personalised care is one such solution, as highlighted in Lord Darzi’s call for patients to be empowered to take greater control of their health. Furthermore, it aligns with the vision of the Integrated Care Systems to provide joined-up, integrated care that meets the diverse needs of local populations.
Despite its proven benefits, a new report from the Personalised Care Institute (PCI) reveals worrying inconsistencies in the delivery of personalised care across the health system. It found that only 55% of health and care professionals feel their organisation consistently practices personalised care, and 29% believe their employer sees it as a ‘tick-box exercise.’
Alarmingly, 18% feel that personalised care has become less of a priority over the last year, and 25% report reductions in related training opportunities. The report underscores systemic barriers, such as insufficient leadership support, a lack of dedicated funding, and limited integrated training opportunities as significant obstacles.
The consequences of neglecting personalised care are far-reaching. The research highlights that nearly half (45%) of patients have received health advice unsuitable for their needs in the last two years. Many reported worsening conditions, stopping treatment early, or requiring additional GP and A&E visits as a result. These avoidable visits exacerbate already significant pressures. Indeed, 38% of health and care professionals anticipate that service pressures will continue to rise unless personalised care is prioritised.
Encouragingly, there are exciting clusters of innovation where personalised care education is being delivered strategically. For example, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board’s GP Excellence Programme has implemented a structured training initiative for diabetes care, focusing on shared decision-making and motivational interviewing skills. Similarly, NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB have developed a roadmap for embedding personalised care across condition pathways and multidisciplinary teams, showcasing another successful model. Such programmes demonstrate the tangible benefits of investing in personalised care education—improved patient outcomes, greater workforce confidence, and more efficient use of resources. But a prerequisite for these kinds of programmes is understanding what personalised care is, why it is so important, and how it can be embedded into a system under pressure. In the London region, they are addressing this by developing an innovative business case, commissioning a series of articles about personalised care, and co-producing a strategic visioning document to outline its benefits.
Yet, these efforts remain the exception rather than the rule. A more coordinated approach is required to replicate this success at scale. To address these challenges, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care must commit to a national strategy for personalised care education as a core component of the 10-Year Health Plan.
This strategy should include the following key elements:
- Ring-fenced Funding: Dedicated budgets must be allocated and accessible to ICS-wide training, including provider and community organisations to enable the commissioning of at-scale personalised care training.
- Comprehensive Training Opportunities: Training must cover the full spectrum of personalised care skills, including shared decision-making, behaviour change techniques and advanced communication skills and be accessible to all health, social care and voluntary sector staff to ensure a truly integrated approach.
- Strategic Workforce Planning: ICSs should be tasked with mapping training needs across their regions and developing tailored education plans so resources are targeted where they are needed most, addressing gaps in capability and capacity.
- Embedding Evaluation: Robust mechanisms must be in place to evaluate the impact of personalised care training on patient outcomes, workforce satisfaction, and service efficiency, building the case for continued investment and scaling successful models.
By embedding personalised care education across the health and care system, we can unlock its full potential to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and create a more sustainable future for the NHS. Fundamentally, it’s a win-win scenario for individuals and the system alike.
Since the disbandment of NHS England’s central funding and personalised care team, the PCI has actively listened to the voices of ICB personalised care leads across the country. While their passion for advancing personalised care remains strong, these leads have expressed the challenges they face without a central home to support and unify their efforts. In response, the PCI is developing a new home for ICB personalised care leads to enable continued growth, shared learning, and collaboration nationwide. This initiative will also include tools to map progress across different ICBs, fostering a collective movement to advance personalised care and help the country move forward together.
If we fail to invest in personalised care education, we risk perpetuating a system that prioritises reactive, one-size-fits-all approaches over proactive, person-centred care. Conversely, by committing to a strategic, well-funded programme of training and development, we can ensure the ambitions of the 10-Year Health Plan are realised. This requires bold leadership, collaboration, and a recognition that personalised care is not an optional add-on but a fundamental enabler of high-quality, sustainable healthcare.
Health and social care leaders have a unique opportunity to champion this agenda. By investing in personalised care education and fostering a culture that values personalised care, they can drive meaningful change across their organisations and communities. Let us seize this moment to place personalised care at the heart of our health system, empowering professionals and patients alike to achieve better outcomes together.
Imagine a health system where every patient feels heard, every professional feels equipped, and every care interaction drives better outcomes. This is the potential of personalised care, and it is within our reach, if we act decisively today.
For more information visit Transforming Health through Personalised Care: Strategies for ICBs, Trusts, and PCNs
Dr Catherine Millington-Sanders is the clinical director for Innovation and Accreditation at the Personalised Care Institute, and a practicing GP in Surrey.
