The government is rolling out the first 27 neighbourhood health centres across England, bringing more services into communities and making healthcare easier to access.
The centres will offer urgent treatment, GP and pharmacy services under one roof, with plans to expand to include wider support such as debt advice, employment and family services. They will be open 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said: ‘This government is transforming healthcare, so the NHS works around the lives of patients rather than vice versa. These one-stop shops will help end the maze of referrals and repeated conversations, treating not just poor health but the causes of it too.’
The first 27 centres, set to open by 2027, are part of a government pledge to open 250 by 2035, with 120 ready by 2030. Existing NHS buildings will be repurposed and upgraded with a total investment of £200 million for the first 50 centres.
NHS England’s National Medical Director Claire Fuller said: ‘Neighbourhood health centres will make it easier for people, particularly working-class communities, to access more joined-up care closer to home. By bringing GP services together with a wider range of tailored support, we can help people get the right care more quickly while avoiding unnecessary trips to hospital.’
Case studies of existing schemes show significant benefits. Truro Health Park delivers an estimated 150,000 additional appointments per year, while Alexandra Avenue Health and Social Centre in Harrow provides more than 120,000 extra appointments annually.
The rollout targets areas with higher levels of deprivation across seven regions, including London, the Midlands and the North West. The initiative forms part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to reduce hospital pressure, cut waiting lists and improve population health.
Jacob Lant, chief executive of National Voices, said: ‘Prioritising areas with the greatest need is a vital step towards tackling health inequalities. These centres have real potential to transform care, but only if they are designed around the people who rely on them the most.’
Nicola Close MBE, chief executive of the Association of Directors of Public Health, added: ‘By offering advice and support on wider issues like debt and employment alongside NHS services, health in its broadest sense can be improved and we move closer to preventing people from getting ill in the first place.’
