Getting the right support, in the right place, at the right time, whether that’s healthcare, housing help, or community support.
Across North Central London’s five boroughs (Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington), we’re transforming how 1.8 million residents access care and support. By bringing services closer to where you live and work, we’re making it easier to get help when you need it most.
What is Neighbourhood Health?
We know that health and wellbeing depend on much more than just medical care. Housing, employment, education, and community connections all play a vital role in keeping you healthy and helping you thrive.
Neighbourhood Health strengthens the links between the NHS, the voluntary sector and local public services, making it easier to access the support people need – whether that’s clinical care, housing advice, or stepped down community care. This is not just an NHS piece of work, but one owned by everyone in our local area.
Why this matters now
We’re already implementing this approach across North Central London. Teams are bringing together GPs, social workers, mental health specialists, and community workers who are supporting people with complex needs – from helping older residents stay independent to managing long-term conditions in the community.
The Government’s new 10 Year Health Plan recognises that neighbourhoods are key to creating a more preventative, people-centred NHS. This gives us the opportunity to expand successful local approaches across all our communities.
But this only works when everyone is involved – residents, carers, community groups, charities, health professionals, and local services all working towards the same goal of healthier, more connected communities.
How the system is making it happen
- 18 neighbourhoods identified: Working with local borough partnerships, we’ve mapped out neighbourhood areas that reflect how people actually live and access services.
- Building the foundations: We’re developing the infrastructure needed – from shared buildings and digital systems to training staff and measuring what works.
- Workshops in each borough: Throughout June and July, we brought together residents, professionals, and community groups in every borough to shape how neighbourhood health will work locally.
- Working arrangements: Borough Partnerships are working to agree integrator arrangements which will make clear what contributions partners are making over the next 18 months to drive development. These will continue to iterate as we learn more about the capacity needed under borough partnerships to drive transformation and outcomes.
- Local leadership: Each borough partnership is leading this work in their area, ensuring it reflects local needs and priorities.
Get involved
If you’d like to get more involved:
- Contact your local Borough Partnership to share ideas and experiences
- Join local workshops and engagement sessions
- Connect with neighbourhood teams already working in your area
- Explore how your role could contribute to neighbourhood teams
If you have any questions please email: nclicb.communications@nhs.net
Neighbourhood Health is being developed in partnership with local communities, NHS services, local authorities, and voluntary organisations across North Central London.
System workshop on 13 June
On Friday 13 June, senior clinicians and professionals across North Central London (NCL) came together for a Neighbourhood Health workshop. This included leaders from primary care, community services, hospitals, councils, mental health and the voluntary and community sector, all active in their Borough Partnerships and the NCL system.
The event was an opportunity to share learning, refine our shared vision, identify challenges and plan next steps as we seek to embed integrated, proactive and personalised care for our residents. It was an exciting and energising morning built on belief, honesty and the strength of NCL partners, with a really strong voice from the voluntary sector and resident perspectives in the room.
The workshop was introduced by Dr Jo Sauvage, Chief Medical Officer at the Integrated Care Board (ICB), with opening statements from our CEO Frances O’Callaghan and Chair, Paul Najsarek.
We talked about the strong foundations already in place, work still to do and opportunities to pursue. There is a real coherence and pragmatism in our Neighbourhood Health offer and vision for our relationship with residents.
Sarah McDonnell-Davies, Executive Director of Place at the ICB, and Amy Bowen, Director of Proactive Care and Long Term Conditions, delivered presentations exploring the work we’ve done so far and our emerging vision for the Neighbourhood Health model in NCL
Partners shared their approach to this work and talked about how they plan to bring their skills to bear to realise the opportunities. There was shared belief and understanding of how teams across different disciplines come together in practical terms to deliver this model. There was also real honesty about why we haven’t gone further already, with people willing to have what one delegate called “crunchy conversations” and build trust across NCL.