We are pleased to share below the January 2025 Integrated Neighbourhood Teams Accelerator Site Newsletter
Background
Three Accelerator Sites comprising Primary Care Networks (PCNs), Health & Care Trust, Local Authority and Voluntary Service partners, have come together as part of the ICS Delivering Good Health and Wellbeing for Everyone Programme to help shape and build a prototype for Neighbourhood Health delivery.
The overarching aim and vision shared by all three sites is to understand how health outcomes can be improved through greater integration and streamlining of processes to support a reduction in duplication, fragmentation and contain growth. This work is not only shaping more proactive, joined-up, person-centred care to meet the needs of local populations but also preparing the health system to respond effectively to the recommendations of the Darzi Review – Neighbourhood Health policy – which will be articulated in the Ten-Year Plan as well as the 25/26 NHS Operating Plan due later this month.
What is an INT?
An INT is the collaboration of health, care, local authority and voluntary sector professionals working together to provide joined-up support for their local community.
INTs are designed to simplify care delivery by reducing duplication, eliminating fragmentation, and addressing unwarranted variations. By integrating services, INTs ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time, minimising delays and inefficiencies. This model values the input of all partners equally, drawing on the expertise of all organisations to meet the diverse needs of our neighbourhoods.
INTs aim to have 3 key aims:
- To make care proactive by identifying risks and intervening early to prevent health problems from escalating. Using population health data and insights, teams can pinpoint individuals and groups who may benefit from preventative interventions, offering tailored support before issues worsen.
- To deliver personalised care by co-designing services with patients and their communities. By involving individuals in decisions about their care and tailoring services to reflect their unique needs, INTs foster a sense of ownership and empowerment.
- To be preventative by addressing the root causes of ill health, including social determinants such as housing, employment, and social isolation. By working collaboratively across sectors, INTs tackle these broader issues to help people stay healthier for longer, reducing reliance on reactive or emergency care services.
Progress Highlights
Thanks to your hard work, collaboration is already driving tangible change across our accelerator sites. Here are just a few examples:
- Kingfisher Accelerator Site
Have held an alliancing meeting in November at Redditch FC with a broad range of stakeholders, including nursing and social care leads. Together, they discussed system challenges, shared carer feedback, and initiated closer collaboration between community nurses and PCN teams. Future alliancing meetings are planned for the new year. - WFHP Accelerator Site
Have hosted two accelerator site partner meetings as well as established plans for shadowing sessions to foster cross-team learning in early 2025 and begun to develop trials for new ways of collaborating triage across Primary Care and Community teams. In depth patient engagement sessions with the support of the CSU strategy unit have also occurred. - Worcester City Accelerator Site
Have conducted a focused data meeting with partner organisations, explored innovative testing ideas inspired by Cornwall ICS and held discussions with the Acute Trust to increase collaboration. Primary Care visits to neighbourhood teams are already enhancing team understanding and build connections.
These strides represent a significant leap toward a more connected and effective healthcare system.
Stories of Impact
Kingfisher PCN have shared a patient case study showcasing the power of integrated working. Thanks to their deepening partnerships, residents are already experiencing extremely positive outcomes. A genuine thank you to the social prescribing team for making this possible and sharing this patient journey. Planned Upcoming Activities
Here’s how we can continue driving progress in 2025:
• Finalise the Project Charter (PID)
• Conduct baseline patient and staff experience surveys
• Complete a skills audit with a gap analysis
• Prepare for the BI meeting on 14th January to advance Population Health Management (PHM)
• Review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to identify focus areas for the testing phase
• Kick off the “testing phase” in early 2025
Thank you for your commitment to-date. As we touched upon during the 1 October workshop; integration is hard work. We constantly look back to your aspirations/thoughts at the end of the workshop and want to do all we can to build upon this momentum. Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions. We plan to do this monthly, so do let us know what you’d like to see in February’s newsletter
For further information please contact:
The Integrated Primary and Community Care Team at hwicb.ipcctransformation@nhs.net