Sunderland has been chosen as one of the first in England to develop a pioneering new approach to healthcare. This follows a Government announcement on a new programme to provide 'healthcare on people's doorstep' through new neighbourhood teams.
Sunderland is among 43 locations in the first wave of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme. These aim to tackle inequalities and improve health in communities.
This radical new approach will transform care by creating neighbourhood health teams, with community nurses, hospital doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, paramedics, social prescribers, local government organisations and the voluntary sector all working together at local level.
Neighbourhood teams will look at the wider causes of a person's health problems, reducing hospital trips, preventing complications and avoiding the frustration of being passed around the system.
Our primary focus is to ensure that people with lived experience are meaningfully involved in shaping and delivering the work. To do so we have:
- Worked with all key partners to ensure patient voice was embedded in the bid from the outset.
- Joined as a key partner on the Implementation Board
- Joined as a key partner of the Communication and Involvement sub group
- Supported the planning and delivery of a Neighbourhood Health Summit event.