This is a major national initiative designed to transform the NHS over the next decade by delivering care closer to people’s homes.
Buckinghamshire is one of only 43 successful applicants chosen from 141 submissions nationwide. The selection recognises the county’s evolving neighbourhood model and the strong commitment to collaborative working across health, care, the voluntary and community sector, and wider partners.
The programme will support the development of integrated neighbourhood health services across Buckinghamshire, with a specific focus on High Wycombe, North Buckinghamshire, Beaconsfield and Marlow.
The neighbourhood teams will bring together professionals from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, primary care led by Bucks GP Provider Alliance, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Buckinghamshire Council, voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations, pharmacy, optometry and dentistry services.
The Government praised Buckinghamshire’s application for its innovation, ambition, and strong local collaboration. The programme will build on existing work and experience, supporting sites through collaborative learning, coaching, implementation and support to roll out this new vision for health care in local communities
Raghuv Bhasin, COO of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: “Neighbourhood Care is central to our vision of helping people in Buckinghamshire live healthier and more independent lives. It is about working with partners to move services to fit around the needs of people and communities, being more proactive in providing support and using all the skills of our excellent teams and the voluntary sector. We are already making changes – for example offering proactive frailty appointments as a MOT for our older residents – and this neighbourhood programme will support us to go further faster to improve things for the people of Buckinghamshire.”
Nick Broughton, chief executive at Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB), said: “We’re really pleased to be part of the first group taking forward the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme. This successful bid helps us move closer to our goal of improving health and care right in the heart of our communities. By using digital tools like the NHS App and focusing more on prevention, we want to help people stay well for longer. It’s an exciting approach to local care, and we’re committed to making it work across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.”