Agile not fragile: Delivering a neighbourhood health system

The UK Government’s forthcoming Ten-Year Health Plan for England proposes a fundamental shift in care from hospital to community, through the development of neighbourhood health systems that integrate services, engage communities, tackle health inequalities and prioritise prevention.

Central to the plan is the creation of 250 neighbourhood health centres, bringing together services such as GP appointments, diagnostics, physiotherapy and mental health support in more accessible community settings.

But delivering this vision will require more than new facilities. As care moves from hospital to high street to home, the role of the modern acute hospital must evolve alongside a broader decentralisation of services. It also demands closer collaboration between the health sector and local leaders — including mayors, local authorities, planners, housing providers, transport agencies, businesses, developers and investors — to address the wider determinants of health and support thriving communities.

Organised by SALUS and Architects for Health in collaboration with Archus, the launch reception panel discussion will see leading experts explore how neighbourhood health systems can create a more resilient, agile and community-centred model of care, while contributing to local regeneration and renewal.

Please note: The event is now fully booked.

The panel line-up is as follows:

Chair: Victoria Head
Chief executive, Archus

Panel:

Fiona Daly
National deputy director of estates; Director of estate sustainability and workforce, NHS England

Sarah Beaumont-Smith
Chair, The Neighbourhood Health Forum

Ruth Rankine
Director, Primary Care Network & Community Network; SRO for Neighbourhood Health, The NHS Alliance