Millions of people across the country are set to benefit from improved care closer to home, as the government begins to rollout the new National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP).
NNHIP is an ambitious initiative designed to shift the focus of care from hospitals to communities- one of the three key shifts from the NHS 10-Year Plan.
Announced today by Secretary of Health, The Rt. Hon. Wes Streeting MP said:
"We are building an NHS fit for the future, one that fits around peoples’ lives and is an integral part of their community.
“Neighbourhood health services fundamentally reimagine how the NHS works – bringing care closer to home while helping to tackle this nation’s shameful health inequalities.”
The programme involves an initial 43 Places across the country being allocated a programme lead, who will work with existing local services to set up new Neighbourhood Health Services.
Each Place will also form a Neighbourhood Health Team consisting of community nurses, hospital doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, paramedics, social prescribers, local government organisations and the voluntary sector – giving millions of people easier access to the right care on their doorstep.
Data from the Department of Health and Social Care shows that a community health scheme in London lowered A&E admissions by 7 per cent, and hospital admissions by 10 per cent, in its first year of operation. A similar initiative in Cornwall, lowered unplanned GP appointments by 7 per cent.
Director of NHS Horizons Emma Challans-Rasool said:
"Horizons holds a long standing history of supporting health and care leaders with large-scale change and they don't come much bigger than a national shift towards Neighbourhood Health!
"This is a superb opportunity for our incredible team to showcase how expertly we co-design and facilitate change on a national level. We are working closely with local leaders and creating the conditions to enable breakthrough thinking, increase leadership capability and capture the amazing work that local Places are leading across England."
Alongside the announcement of NNHIP, we are delighted to share two new platforms for those interested in helping to shape the Neighbourhood Health movement:
💻 A brand new website showcasing excellent existing examples of Neighbourhood Health alongside resources, events and news.
Visit: neighbourhood-health.co.uk/
👋 A dedicated Linkedin group for anyone interested in collaborating, sharing best practice and ideas.
www.linkedin.com/groups/14915025/
We are incredibly excited to drive improvement, demonstrate impact and help spread new ways of working for neighbourhood health through one large social movement!
Initial 43 Places selected
North East & Yorkshire
North East Lincolnshire
Stockton
Rotherham
Leeds (Hatch, South, East)
Sunderland
Bradford and Craven (Bradford South, Keighley and Airedale)
Doncaster
Wakefield
North West
Sefton
Stockport
Blackburn and Darwen
Rochdale
Morecambe Bay
St Helens
Midlands
Walsall
East Birmingham
Coventry
Solihull
Herefordshire
Leicestershire (West)
Nottingham City
Shropshire
East of England
Fenland, Peterborough and East, Peterborough Partnerships
West Essex
South and West Hertfordshire (Decorum and Hertsmere)
West Suffolk
Ipswich and East Suffolk
North East Essex
London
Barking and Dagenham
Kensington / Chelsea and Westminster (Regents Health Westminster, Brompton South West London)
Hillingdon
Lambeth and Southwark
Croydon
South West
Bristol (South Bristol)
Woodspring
Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly
Dorset Place (Weymouth)
South East
Buckinghamshire (North, High Wickham, Marlow Beaconsfield)
East Berkshire and Slough
Portsmouth
East Kent
East Surrey (Surrey Downs)
East Sussex (Hastings and Rother)
