About our neighbourhoods

In Lambeth and across the country, the NHS is working closely with local councils, voluntary groups and community organisations to develop and deliver neighbourhood health services, in line with the ambitions set out in the national 10 Year Health Plan.

Neighbourhood working will transform how we support people’s health and wellbeing by bringing more care closer to home and making services easier to access. It will help people live healthier, more independent lives and reduce unnecessary hospital visits by providing joined-up, personalised care.

Neighbourhood working goes beyond treating illness. It reflects the 10 Year Plan’s ambition to shift the NHS from treating illness to proactive prevention and wellbeing support. This means helping people stay well at every stage of life, giving them more control over their care, and addressing the wider social factors that impact health, such as housing, employment, education, and social connections.

Neighbourhood working is not new to Lambeth. We have a strong foundation of integrated local services and partnerships. This next phase builds on that work to deliver the 10 Year Health Plan’s ambitions.

Integrated neighbourhood teams

Developing integrated neighbourhood teams is essential to delivering personalised, joined up and localised care across Lambeth and south east London.

Integrated neighbourhood teams will go beyond multi-disciplinary working by fully integrating staff from health, social care and voluntary services into a single local team, responsible for delivering seamless and coordinated care in a specific neighbourhood.  They will work closely together to provide joined-up, personalised support shaped by the unique needs of the communities they serve.  Our aim is to make care more connected, easier to access, and better coordinated so it responds not just to clinical needs, but to the full range of a person’s physical, mental, emotional and social needs.

Initial focus for the neighbourhood health service

To start with, our neighbourhood working is prioritising three key groups where there is the greatest opportunity for improvement:

  • People with three or more long-term conditions: helping people manage their conditions to avoid longer term impacts from their condition and reduce the need for hospital care.
  • Frailty and end-of-life care: supporting older adults to live independently and get care in their community.
  • Children with complex needs: providing early and ongoing support for children and families.

What the neighbourhood health service will mean for you

  • Joined-up care: different health and care services work together to support all your needs.
  • Easier access: services will be available closer to home, reducing travel and waiting times.
  • Better ongoing support: you see the health and care professionals from the same team more often, leading to better follow-up care
  • More focus on preventing ill health: support for healthy lifestyles, mental wellbeing, and long-term conditions before problems get worse.
  • Easier to work out what services you need: with teams working together, it’s easier to find the right help when you need it.
  • More personalised care: services are tailored to meet your needs

How can I find out more?

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing updates, gathering feedback, and working with residents to refine our plans.