Neighbourhood Health focuses on three key areas.
- Proactive Care helps people stay well and manage long-term conditions before problems become more serious.
- Access to Urgent Care ensures people can get timely support when they need it, helping to prevent some health concerns from becoming emergencies.
- Flow and Capacity supports people to receive care in the most appropriate setting and return home safely and quickly when hospital care is no longer needed. Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, made up of professionals from health, care and community organisations, are central to making this happen.
Proactive care
The Neighbourhood Health approach aims to help people stay well for longer through prevention, early intervention and coordinated support. More services are being delivered in local communities, making it easier for people to access the care and support they need closer to where they live.
This includes helping people manage long-term conditions such as frailty, respiratory disease and diabetes, while also supporting people nearing the end of their lives to remain comfortable and receive care in their preferred place wherever possible.
Access to urgent care
Neighbourhood Health also improves access to urgent care by bringing services together and ensuring people receive the right support at the right time. Whether care is provided at home, in the community or in hospital, the focus is on preventing health issues from escalating into emergencies.
Planned and specialist care
Neighbourhood Health Centres will bring together a range of services in one location, including general practice, community services, diagnostics, outpatient care, social care, public health services, housing support and urgent care.
General practice is at the heart of Neighbourhood Health, helping to lead more integrated care for local populations.
Health, care, community and voluntary sector organisations are working together through integrated neighbourhood teams (INTs). INTs focus on improving outcomes for individuals with complex health and care needs, with an increasing emphasis on identifying and supporting people living with frailty, alongside those with long-term conditions.
By improving coordination and delivering care in the most appropriate setting, Neighbourhood Health helps improve patient experience, reduce avoidable hospital demand and make better use of resources across the system.
Last reviewed: 06 October 2026