When faced with the task of discussing the challenges and opportunities for healthcare services in the future, we have divided the topic into what we collectively believe are four key areas of importance. We propose to investigate the opportunities afforded by advances in (1) research and (2) technology, and to question the challenges posed by (3) financial restrictions and (4) lifestyle choices. We will examine how these factors will affect health services in the future and suggest some effective changes that health services could implement to create a more integrated health system. Research is the root from which the future prospects of the healthcare system flourish. It is the pivot on which our ever-growing medical knowledge turns, creating an unexpected abundance of opportunities, and right now, a new generation of researchers is attempting to discover radically new medical strategies. A look back at the major medical advances of the last decade gives us a glimpse of what the future may hold. Genetics has been and remains at the forefront of medical research. The lead scientist of the Human Genome Project, Craig Venter, believes that genetics is the precursor to many medical advances and that the most important area of ​​future healthcare will be preventative medicine: “By understanding genetic causes and links to disease we can spend more and pay greater attention to disease prevention". Although the fruits of this project are not yet fully ripe, future advances in this field could prove to be insurmountable benefits for the healthcare system: doctors are currently on the verge of developing a genetic test for the prevalence of prostate cancer, for example. Furthermore, seque...... half of the document ...... health services are starting to focus on preventing diseases rather than trying to cure them. Financing is a chronic problem and if a financial solution is not found then there is nothing that can be done. there is no way health services will be able to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us thanks to advances in both research and technology. With the looming prospect of electronic health records, healthcare systems around the world must ensure that they do not allow healthcare to become impersonal, while taking full advantage of these revolutionary technologies. We can finally conclude then that, while the opportunities discussed could have been unanticipated benefits for health services, each brings a related challenge, be it funding or willingness to change. Health services must face these challenges with fortitude to overcome them.