South Yorkshire has been selected as two sites for the ground-breaking £10m National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.
Both Rotherham and Doncaster have been selected to lead projects that will contribute to the 10 Year Health Plan and improve care for their communities.
The programme is part of the 10 Year Health Plan that will initially work with 42 participating sites nationally who will make early progress to create exemplars of neighbourhood health delivery.
Chris Edwards, Deputy Chief Executive and Rotherham Executive Place Director said: “I’m delighted that not only will there be two programmes in South Yorkshire, but that Rotherham has itself been selected. Neighbourhood health is so important in making sure our communities stay well and avoid being admitted into hospital. The 10 Year Health Plan envisages that we will move from sickness to prevention and from hospital to neighbourhood, and this programme will support both shifts. It’s fantastic recognition of the work we have been doing here in Rotherham in neighbourhood health for many years.”
Anthony Fitzgerald, Doncaster Executive Place Director, said: “This is a significant moment for our communities in Doncaster to have been selected. Coming in the same week as the announcement that Doncaster Airport will reopen feels like a significant boost to the City. We want to ensure that our communities are empowered to make decisions about their health and their neighbourhoods, and this announcement will ensure that this takes place. There is a lot of hard work ahead of us but it’s important that we recognise the achievement in being selected.”
Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, said: “We welcome the opportunity to be part of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme pilot which will build on the work already taking place locally. This is very much in line with Doncaster’s direction to build services around the needs of our residents and communities and to work ever more collaboratively with local people. This will build on our existing proposals such as Health on the High Street, which supports our plans to integrate community and health services into the city centre. In Doncaster we are committed to working with our health partners to bring services closer to those who need them, relieving pressure on hospital services and bringing added benefits to local neighbourhoods.”
John Edwards, Chief Executive of Rotherham Council, said: “I’m delighted that Rotherham has been chosen by the Government as one of the 42 selected areas. Rotherham’s bid outlined examples of joined up working and innovation already happening in the borough. We’re already progressing towards neighbourhood-based working with a clear vision for joined-up, preventative care and being part of this programme will support our ambition to strengthen our work further.”
The National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme will support transformation and improvement by supporting learning and building on work that is already underway, as well as gather evidence-based models of care that can share good practice from participating sites. The two successful projects are:
- Doncaster: Accelerate our community-led, relational approach to empower residents and build self-efficacy.
- Rotherham: Shift from Acute to Community focused initially on patients with co-morbidities and rising risk and health inequalities
In addition, NHS South Yorkshire submitted applications for Barnsley and Sheffield. Although these were not selected, we will use the learning from this programme to support the development of neighbourhood working in Barnsley and Sheffield to ensure all South Yorkshire residents benefit from the new integrated ways of working.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-people-to-benefit-from-healthcare-on-their-doorstep