Your neighbourhood is not the same as my neighbourhood.
The NHS plan is full of references to developing Neighbourhood Health services. To most people a neighbourhood is the streets around the area where they live, or work.
However, the Department of Health vision of a Neighbourhood, around which services should be planned and delivered is something on a grander scale. So, in fact, nothing like what most people would consider to be a neighbourhood at all.
What are Neighbourhoods supposed to do?
The idea behind NHS Neighbourhoods is that prevention and routine care is moved out of hospitals and into local communities.
Health services will be designed around communities, not buildings like large hospitals, so help can be provided locally.
The guidance suggests that Neighbourhoods should cover a population of between 30,000 to 50,000 people, aligning with the areas covered by the current Primary Care Networks (see separate briefing).
Integrated Neighbourhood Teams
These will be set up to work at a local level. The teams will be made up of health, social care and voluntary sector professionals working together to co-ordinate care around the patient.
Oxfordshire Neighbourhoods
The proposals are that there are 15 neighbourhoods across Oxfordshire. These are based on Primary Care Networks (see PCN pages) which are groupings of GP practices.
