Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what population size Neighbourhood Health Centres should serve in rural areas.

Neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) will bring together general practice with a mix of community, local authority, adult social care, and civil society services, allowing staff to deliver more coordinated and effective care for better patient outcomes and experiences.

As set out in the NHC guidance for regions and integrated care boards, integrated care boards should plan for NHCs to serve a population footprint at a scale in line with the Neighbourhood Health Framework, approximately 50,000, whilst recognising the need for local flexibility.

Delivery of neighbourhood health will be locally led, with health and wellbeing boards agreeing the geography around which services should be delivered. We expect neighbourhood health teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While there will be a consistent focus on personalised coordinated care, the service will look different in different places, for example, in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities.