Neighbourhood Health Services

Lord Kakkar Excerpts

Monday 7th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

As this will be locally led, the priority groups will be those who are more excluded, and that may well include those who are digitally excluded. But the noble Lord makes an important point. It is not just about local care in a physical sense—indeed, we have already committed to over 120 neighbourhood care centres—but it is also about digital access, because that is how many people now access it. However, in every single case, if someone cannot, there is an alternative for them.

[Lord Kakkar (CB)]

My Lords, I draw noble Lords’ attention to my registered interest as chairman of King’s Health Partners. The Minister will recognise that, increasingly, pathways of care for the management of chronic diseases will extend across institutional boundaries, both in primary and secondary care, and will be delivered by multidisciplinary teams of different healthcare professionals. Is she content that the present regime for regulation, both institutional and professional, will facilitate that cross-institutional delivery of care and care delivered by multidisciplinary teams?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

As we develop neighbourhood provision, bring care closer to home and join up as the noble Lord suggested, it is key that the regulatory framework supports that as well as all the other work. We are ensuring that the regulators are able to do that. Dr Penny Dash recently did a review and we are looking at what more needs to be done.