Last month the NHS Confederation published their take on the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, unpacking what a neighbourhood health service will look like and what’s needed to make it a success.
The Confederation welcomes the government’s 10-Year Health Plan, noting its ambition to move care closer to communities through neighbourhood health services. While not entirely new, the plan brings stronger national backing, investment, and regulation that can accelerate existing progress.
They rightly highlight that neighbourhood health is not just about shifting services out of hospitals. It is about redesigning care with integrated teams, strong local leadership, and an emphasis on prevention. Crucially, it is also about co-production with residents: engaging people with lived experience to shape services that truly reflect community needs.
Evidence shows why this matters. When people are directly involved, outcomes improve. The Haringey Multi-Agency Care and Coordination Team reduced emergency hospital visits by 40%, saved costs, and improved satisfaction for both staff and patients. Importantly, a third of referrals came from the most deprived areas, demonstrating how co-designed services can reduce inequalities.
The message is clear: lived experience makes services more effective, more trusted, and more equitable.
At Public Voice, we are particularly pleased to see the Confederation champion the vital role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. With its deep local connections and flexibility, the sector is often best placed to reach those excluded from statutory systems.
To fulfil this role, VCSE organisations must be recognised as equal partners, with sustainable funding and a voice in decision-making.
In Haringey, we have already seen what this can look like. Public Voice, through initiatives such as the Haringey Community Collaborative, has brought together over 70 organisations to co-produce solutions to pressing challenges, from food insecurity to digital exclusion.
Alongside Mind in Haringey and the council, the Collaborative has launched a community-led Challenge Fund, built the capacity of local groups, and provided a platform for shared leadership across the borough.
Similarly, the Joint Partnership Board, which Public Voice has supported since 2017, exemplifies co-production in practice. By bringing residents, council and NHS staff into shared decision-making, it has shaped public services in real time, such as influencing local police training to improving the inclusivity of transport and neighbourhood design.
These experiences show that when residents and the VCSE sector are at the table, services are not only more responsive but also more effective in tackling entrenched inequalities.
The NHS Confederation is right: neighbourhood health services have the potential to become the “engine room” of integrated care. But their success depends on listening to communities, resourcing the VCSE, and embedding co-production at every level.