About neighbourhood working
We all live in a neighbourhood – and we want these to be places where people get to know each other, help each other and have a stake in improving the area we call home.
In north east London, we are working together to make real and sustainable improvements to people’s lives. By bringing together the people who live in a neighbourhood and those who work to support that community, we want to make a difference to people’s physical and mental health.
Our neighbourhood approach brings services closer to people’s homes and makes sure local NHS teams, council services, voluntary, community and faith organisations, and residents work together around the needs of each community. Services will be delivered at different levels – for north east London, for a Place, for a neighbourhood or even for a hyperlocal area covering just a few streets – so we can make the greatest difference for people’s health and wellbeing.
North east London is diverse, and we know that people’s health is shaped by much more than healthcare alone. That is why our neighbourhoods teams will use local insight, population health data and conversations with communities to understand what matters most in each area. This will help teams focus support on people with the greatest need, including those living with long-term conditions, frailty, poor mental health or wider social challenges.
Our vision is based around combining proactive, personalised and preventative care: spotting problems earlier, supporting people before they reach crisis, and making it easier for our residents and professionals to navigate physical and mental health and care services.
We are developing integrated neighbourhood teams across all seven places in north east London, supported by stronger local partnerships, shared planning, and investment to shift more care and support into communities.
Local people will help us to co-design our plans to make sure we truly understand their priorities, their experiences and their ideas. Neighbourhood health plans will then be agreed with partners through Health and Wellbeing Boards. They will combine a consistent north east London offer with the flexibility to respond to different local needs.
Our position is clear: neighbourhood working is central to improving health, reducing inequalities and creating a more sustainable NHS by helping people get the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
Frequently asked questions
Neighbourhood health brings together health, care and community services around the needs of local people. It recognises that good health is influenced by a wide range of factors beyond healthcare alone.
Neighbourhood working involves NHS organisations, local authorities, voluntary, community and faith organisations, residents and wider partners.
What does neighbourhood health mean?
Neighbourhood health brings services together around the people who need them, because health and wellbeing are shaped by more than just medical care. Things like housing, work, family income, education and social connections all affect how healthy we are.
That’s why neighbourhood health connects:
- NHS services
- local authorities
- community, faith and voluntary organisations
It means that people can get the right support, in the right place, at the right time – whether that’s healthcare, housing advice, benefits advice, mental health support or help from a community group or faith organisation.
How will this work in north east London?
Your care and support will be planned and organised at neighbourhood level through our integrated neighbourhood teams (INTs). These will include professionals such as:
Your GP and their practice team
- Local pharmacists
- Mental health specialists
- Community services – including nurses and physiotherapists
- Social workers and staff who support care in your home
- Voluntary and community sector partners
By working together with your GP, they will help people with complex needs or long term conditions and those who are vulnerable to becoming unwell.
This means we can help to identify problems earlier, make it easier and quicker for you to get the care and support you need, and help people to stay well and independent for longer.
How is it working so far?
NHS North East London has been working with our partners in health, social care and the voluntary, community and faith sector for many years. Our vision for neighbourhood health builds on the achievements so far and gives us an opportunity to go further in improving the lives of our residents.
Work to date includes:
- The eight well established neighbourhood footprints in City and Hackney around which NHS community services and voluntary and community sector (VCS) support has been organised for a number of years.
- In Barking and Dagenham, ten VCS led neighbourhood networks are evolving to bring together residents and community groups with health and care teams to rapidly innovate and build solutions to the challenges that matter to residents.
- In Redbridge the ‘Families Together Hub’ brings together a range of children’s and family support services (including early help, debt, welfare and employment services and relationship counselling) to support children, couples and families in one neighbourhood setting.
- In Havering, the new St George’s health and wellbeing hub brings together primary care with specialist care and community groups to support older adults and frailty.
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Your area
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About NHS North East London
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About the North East London Health and Care Partnership
Find out more about our health and care partnership and what we to improve local services.
