Asked by: Tom Collins (Labour - Worcester)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential role of family hubs in moving healthcare from hospitals into communities.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer.
Family hubs are a community-based way of improving access to healthcare, with Start for Life services for families from conception to the age of two years old at their heart. They offer joined-up support through access to local services, including maternity, perinatal mental health, parent-infant relationships, and infant feeding.
Ministers and officials have engaged with stakeholders on the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in the context of community-based healthcare. The Neighbourhood Health model will build on existing good practice from across the country and on the feedback received from the 10-Year Health Plan engagement.