Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to care in the community.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will increase access to care in the community and will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a person’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, and only in a hospital if necessary.

This will be achieved by increasing capacity in primary and community care settings. We are committed to ensuring that there is a higher growth in investment in primary and community services than in hospitals, and to making the most of local community assets.

Neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of health and care services on people’s doorsteps, joining up the National Health Service and local authority and voluntary sector services as a one-stop shop. Rollout will be progressive over this Parliament, with early sites focussing on the areas of greatest need.

Neighbourhood health services will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s home, including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, and more, to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community.

Through the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, we are supporting 43 areas across England to drive innovation and integration locally, accelerating improvements in outcomes, satisfaction, and experiences by ensuring care is more joined-up, accessible, and responsive to community needs.