Morecambe Bay is to benefit from the support of national and regional teams to work with local leaders and communities to further develop neighbourhood health services.
Under the Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, the area will draw together a range of professions and organisations to develop ‘neighbourhood health teams’ consisting of community nurses, hospital doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, paramedics, social prescribers, local government organisations and the voluntary sector – giving people easier and more joined up access to the right care and support closer to their own homes.
They will initially focus on supporting people with long term conditions such as diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and those people who are frail with multiple and complex health and care needs.
It will centre around areas with the highest levels of deprivation and inequalities. As the programme grows, it will expand to support other residents and priority cohorts.
The Integrated Care Board (ICB) chief nurse, Jane Scattergood, who has also led on bringing neighbourhood health services to Morecambe Bay, said: “Working in neighbourhoods alongside partners and communities is a really important part of the NHS’ 10-year health plan and a shift to supporting and improving health and wellbeing.
“It is great for Lancashire and South Cumbria to be part of this programme because it will support great work which is taking place in Morecambe Bay, but also in neighbourhoods across the region where we are also seeing some great collaboration and neighbourhood initiatives which are improving the experiences of our residents.
“Our footprint covers a wide geographic area, including urban, coastal and rural communities. Partners have a strong history of working collaboratively to support the needs of our residents in different areas and design services that respond to local challenges and maximise local community assets.
‘’Being selected to participate in wave one of this programme is a fantastic reflection of our hard work to date and an exciting opportunity for us to do much more in our neighbourhoods to offer preventative, person-centred care.”
Neighbourhood health will benefit patients by providing end-to-end care and tailored support, looking beyond a single condition and instead supporting individuals and their families with their overall health and wellbeing, helping to avoid unnecessary trips to hospital, preventing unnecessary complications or exacerbations in managing their condition, and avoiding the frustration of being passed around the health and care system.
The wave one programme will begin in autumn 2025, and will support our ambitions to expand our neighbourhood-based working over the coming year. As wave one participants, colleagues in Morecambe Bay will learn from other sites across the country and will share their learning with other places and neighbourhoods within the Lancashire and South Cumbria footprint.
Daniel Matchett, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "The Morecambe Bay area, including North Lancashire, is one of the first to benefit from this roll out, which will see more services delivered closer to home and ensure that care is kept within the local community.
"We will continue working closely with our NHS partners to make sure this programme delivers real benefits for residents as it expands across the county.
"This approach reflects the current national government’s NHS 10-year plan and returns us to a model of care that has been championed many times before, offering a renewed focus on strengthening care and support within the communities where people live."
Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council, added: “We are delighted to be a partner in this fantastic project. It’s a great opportunity to build on our work with local health, care, and community partners to deliver better outcomes for residents.
“By coming together at a neighbourhood level, we can deliver more joined-up support that improves people’s health, reduces inequalities, and builds stronger communities.”
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