Published on: 2nd April 2025

The Federation of Specialist Hospitals (FSH) has pubnlished a comprehensive new report, The Power of Specialism in the Future NHS, outlining a bold vision for the role of specialist hospitals in transforming healthcare across England. The report will be launched at an event in parliament.

As the government prepares to unveil the new NHS 10-Year Plan, the report makes a compelling case for placing specialist hospitals at the heart of national healthcare reform. These world-renowned centres of excellence deliver outstanding care for patients with rare, complex, and chronic conditions, make a disproportionate contribution to research and innovation, including supporting the government’s life science ambitions, and play a vital role in training the NHS workforce of the future.

Amid ongoing pressures on the NHS—including increasing demand, workforce shortages, and stagnating productivity—the report highlights specialism as an untapped resource that can help unlock solutions and deliver the governments three shifts. It sets out detailed recommendations for how specialist hospitals can drive forward the government’s ambitions for health reform, equity, and economic growth.

Expert Commentary

Professor Tim Briggs, Chair of the Federation of Specialist Hospitals, commented:

“Specialist hospitals already deliver some of the most innovative, efficient, and effective care within the NHS. Our report shows how these centres can support the system more broadly—through networked models of care, workforce development, clinical leadership, and research collaboration. We’re asking government to partner with us to develop a coherent national strategy for specialism, so we can fully realise these benefits at scale.”

The report is grounded in real-world examples of innovation and excellence. From facial reanimation surgery at Queen Victoria Hospital that helped a young patient smile again, to advanced robotic-assisted bronchoscopy at the Royal Brompton, it highlights the extraordinary impact of specialist care on patient outcomes. The report also contains details of life science related partnerships such as a data partnership between Roche and Great Ormond Street Hospital and a clinical commercial partnership at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital that enabled a state of the art Cath Lab to be built.

Driving Economic Growth Through Specialism

The report also underscores the vital role specialist hospitals play in economic development. As hubs of early-stage innovation and research, specialist trusts partner with global life sciences firms, commercialise NHS innovations, and help patients return to work—contributing to the government’s ambition to make the Department of Health and Social Care a “department for economic growth.”

Tim Glenn, Vice Chair of the Federation and Deputy Chief Executive at Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust, added:

“Specialist hospitals bring together clinical expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a culture of continuous improvement. That combination is exactly what the NHS needs right now. We believe specialist providers are not only a key part of the solution to current challenges—but an engine for the future NHS and critical to delivering on the government’s life science ambitions. With a strategic national approach, we can do even more to deliver high-quality care, train the next generation of clinicians, and support the government's life science ambitions to benefit UK plc.”

Key Recommendations

The report identifies several strategic priorities for government and NHS England, including:

  • Developing a dedicated national strategy for specialist hospitals as part of the NHS 10-Year Plan
  • Expanding the use of networked care and lead provider models to spread expertise and improve coordination
  • Embedding specialism into workforce planning and training pipelines, particularly in shortage areas such as clinical academics
  • Leveraging specialist hospitals’ research strengths to attract life sciences investment and improve access to clinical trials
  • Addressing outdated funding mechanisms that fail to reflect the complexity and value of specialist care
  • Unlocking capital investment to allow specialist hospitals to grow, innovate, and modernise their estates and services

The Federation represents 16 world-leading organisations across a range of clinical specialties, including RNOH, The Royal Marsden, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Queen Square (NHNN), The Walton Centre, and The Christie, as well as the Children’s Hospitals Alliance and the National Orthopaedic Association.