Leading neighbourhood care development
The National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) has led the development of neighbourhood care, population health improvement and integrated working for over two decades.
Part of this evolution was the creation of the primary care home (PCH), which informed national policy and led the transformation of integrated primary care across England. We established the framework for more personalised pro-active care and support to be provided locally that is tailored towards people’s needs.
Neighbourhood care
Through our work over 20 years across health and care we describe neighbourhood as:
- Shaped and defined by the community
- Comprehensive and personalised, to meet the identified health and wellbeing needs of the population
- Provided by an efficient and effective team, drawn from a range of local organisations in the neighbourhood
- Creative and innovative, empowering those living and working in the community to flourish.
There is no one size fits all – the exact identity and geography of a neighbourhood, and the care and support provided within it, is shaped and defined by the community. Coproduction and collaboration with local people and professionals is at the heart of neighbourhood care, with communication and engagement undertaken in a way that resonates with local people.
Care and support is personalised, meeting the identified needs of the population informed by local data, professional insight and the voice of people with lived experience. This results in population health improvements across multiple levels in the health and care system.
Care and support is also comprehensive; ensuring people do not have to travel far when they need help unless there is a specific benefit, minimising the impact of healthcare on the environment.
Integrated teams
Assembled to meet the holistic needs of their local population, teams based in the neighbourhood are drawn from a range of providers across the community. In line with the Fuller Stocktake, teams work in an integrated way around the needs of the population. The health and wellbeing needs of the community informs the range of proactive care and support services available, which in turn determines the professional skill sets, roles and training needs within the team.
Effective and efficient neighbourhood teams invest the time to evolve together, building trust and cohesion. They are creative and innovative, using digital solutions to develop new ways of working and to improve the health of their neighbourhood.
Communities are empowered and flourish, which improves the overall wellbeing of those living and working in the neighbourhood.