NHS England London region has published a proposal for Neighbourhood Health, shifting care away from hospitals towards communities. Here is an extract:
"London’s health and care leader with contributions from NHS England London, London’s five Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), London Health and Care Partnership, London councils, the Greater London Authority, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in London – with support from Londonwide Local Medical Committees (LMCs) have set out their plans for a neighbourhood health service to bring care closer to people’s homes.
"The plans set out a case for change for how health care will be delivered in the capital.
"Informed by months of engagement with clinicians, professionals, system and organisational leaders, patients, carers, voluntary organisations, and local leaders, these partners have formally backed the publication of The London case for change and the London target operating model and next steps for implementation for a neighbourhood health service in London. These documents lay the groundwork transformation in how health and care is designed, delivered, and experienced by people in London, and reflect a collective determination to build healthier communities across the capital.
A new way of working
"The London target operating model shows how a neighbourhood health service will function in practice. At its core, services will be integrated around people’s lives, by bringing together GPs, community health services, mental health support, acute and specialist services, local authorities (including adult’s and children’s social care and public health) and voluntary services, to deliver coordinated and proactive care to people with the most complex needs.
Putting people and communities at the centre
"The model is built on a whole-population approach – improving support and outcomes for babies, children and young people; families; working-age adults, including those currently economically inactive due to unmet health needs; older people; and those at the end of their lives.
"It recognises that health and wellbeing are shaped as much by housing, employment, education, and community as by medicine. By strengthening connections between the NHS and local public services, and making it easier to access non-clinical support, the neighbourhood health service will also help tackle the broader causes of ill-health.
Why now?
"London faces a clear and pressing need to do things differently. Rising demand, widening health inequalities, workforce pressures, and fragmented services are all putting strain on the current system.
"Across the capital, people are living longer but with more complex health needs, yet too often experience care that is disjointed and reactive.
"The time is right for a new model – one rooted in prevention, early intervention, and support that wraps around people in the communities where they live. The goal is to keep people healthy and independent for longer, reduce unnecessary hospital and care home stays, and improve the overall experience and outcomes of care".
Read the full NHS blog here.