Last week it was reported in various circulations that the new health secretary is ‘determined’ to make the NHS more of a ‘neighbourhood health service’. So what does this mean for PCNs and GP practices?
The concept of Neighbourhood Teams has been gaining traction as a transformative approach to integrated care and increasingly being seen as a solution to some of the challenges facing the recovery of services. In this article, we explore the opportunities presented by Neighbourhood Teams and how Venn Health can support your practice or PCN in this transition.
Understanding Integrated Neighbourhood Teams:
An integrated neighbourhood approach brings together organisations and teams involved in the design and delivery of care to develop a cohesive strategy for interventions based on population health needs. While some PCNs collaborate with GP surgeries and other external stakeholders, maintaining a sustained approach to wider engagement can be challenging. This can be because or capacity and resource constraints, which means organisational silos persist, preventing true integrated working and the mutual benefits this brings.
Government’s Vision and Support:
The new government has recognised the potential of Neighbourhood Teams in addressing some of the key challenges faced by the NHS. Emerging plans highlight the importance of integrated care in reducing waiting times, improving patient outcomes, and ensuring a more resilient healthcare system. These policies provide a framework and support for healthcare providers to adopt and implement Neighbourhood Teams.
Benefits of an Integrated Neighbourhood Approach:
Reduced Workload and Resource Duplication: By working together, Neighbourhood Teams can streamline processes, share resources, and reduce the overall workload for individual providers. This collaborative approach ensures that efforts are not duplicated and that care delivery is more efficient.
Improved Patient Care: An integrated approach ensures that patients receive comprehensive care that addresses all their needs. By coordinating efforts, healthcare providers can deliver better outcomes and enhance patient satisfaction.
Reduced Health Inequalities: Neighbourhood Teams focus on population health management, identifying and addressing health inequalities within communities. This targeted approach ensures that vulnerable populations receive the care they need.
Enhanced System-Wide Resilience: Collaboration among different providers enhances the overall resilience of the healthcare system. By sharing resources and knowledge, Neighbourhood Teams can better respond to challenges and ensure continuity of care.
Supporting Neighbourhood Team Development:
At Venn Health, we are committed to supporting practices and PCNs in adopting and implementing Neighbourhood Teams.
Through our Neighbourhood Team development support work, we help teams build the skills, capacity, and capability to break down silos and deliver joined-up population health management through an effective neighbourhood approach.
Our work involves
Identifying stakeholders within a neighbourhood
Using population health management data to identify areas to focus on
Facilitating strategy development, planning and implementation
Supporting the development of a tangible project with clear objectives and outcomes
Find out more about our support: Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
Neighbourhood Teams represent a significant opportunity to transform healthcare delivery, making it more efficient, effective, and patient-centred. By embracing this integrated approach, healthcare providers can reduce workload, improve patient care, and address health inequalities.
At Venn Health, we are here to support you every step of the way.
Get in touch for free chat to explore how we can help you navigate this transition.
Comments