Innovative projects aimed at bringing care closer to people’s homes in Walsall, East Birmingham and Solihull have been announced as being among 43 projects across the country to be part of the government’s flagship National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.

The projects were chosen from 141 applications and represent the first cohort of the programme which has been backed by £10m in government funding to tackle stark and unjust health inequalities – bringing together leaders from across local healthcare, the voluntary sector, and the wider community to design services around communities rather than organisations.  Eventually projects in the programme will bring health and care services such as diagnostics, mental health, outpatients, post-op, rehab, nursing and social care closer to home.  

The projects in East Birmingham, Walsall and Solihull are:

  • Further development of the East Birmingham Locality Hub at Washwood Heath Health & Wellbeing Centre accompanied by the launch of five integrated neighbourhood teams.  Launched 18 months ago as a pilot, the Hub is staffed by a multi-professional health and care team and is home to a care co-ordination centre, and a respiratory same day emergency care service (RSDEC). The RSDEC has seen 1500+ patients since it opened in December 2024. The hub is supported by integrated neighbourhood teams (INT) keeping people well at home. An evaluation of the first INT shows a 30 per cent drop in A&E attendance
  • Further develop the pathways and services at Solihull Locality Hub at Solihull Hospital. The Locality Hubs in East Birmingham and Solihull are part of the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System’s Community Care Collaborative programme of work.
  • Investing in recruitment, retention and development of therapy and rehabilitation staff to provide timely discharges, supporting independence and reducing long-term care via Walsall’s nationally recognised Intermediate Care Service. The service has seen a 65% increase in demand since 2017, helping people to recover, regain independence and avoid hospital stays.
  • Launching a new community-based clinic in Walsall’s The Stan Ball Centre, hosting a range of services for adults living with frailty or managing long-term conditions. The pilot will deliver a proactive, person-centred multidisciplinary care model for local people to identify and manage frailty earlier in a community setting. Patients will receive a personalised care plan with follow-up support provided through the Neighbourhood Team and Community Frailty Team. If successful, the model will be scaled borough-wide.
  • Supporting the Live Well at Home and in your Community 12-month pilot in Walsall - designed to address the challenges around home provision and consider more on delivering flexible, personalised care. The approach focuses on a broader look at what impacts on peoples health and well-being, independence and sense of isolation. This will enable better co-ordination across the care system, including local councils, the NHS, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations and home care providers, to deliver more responsive and person-centred care that reduces the need for multiple visits from different professionals.

David Melbourne, Chief Executive of NHS Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of work to support delivery of the national 10 Year Health Plan and its ambition to shift care from hospitals into  communities, making it easier for people to access the healthcare they need when they need it, and subsequently reduce pressure on hospitals.

“These projects in Walsall, East Birmingham and Solihull are being delivered in partnership with local organisations, ensuring those with the expertise and relationships with local people are at the forefront of our work to reduce health inequalities.”

Richard Kirby, Chief Executive of Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of the Community Network at NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation, said: “At the heart of our work in leading the system’s Community Care Collaborative is a focus on providing better, more joined up community-based health and care services for people of all ages.

“Being part of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme will enable us to build on the early successes we have seen from our work at the East Birmingham Locality Hub. This includes our Integrated Neighbourhood Teams service which is focussing on supporting those patients with complex health and care needs. Evidence shows us that we are starting to deliver better outcomes and more co-ordinated care for our local population, supporting them to live healthier and more independent lives in their own surroundings.”

Dr Ryan Hobson, Chair of the Primary Care Collaborative in the Black Country, said: “We’re proud to be part of the Neighbourhood Health Programme, which is helping shift resources and care from hospitals into community health providers, such as GPs and Pharmacies. This means more people can get the support they need closer to home, without unnecessary hospital visits. It’s an important step in reducing health inequalities by increasing the focus on prevention. Our aim is to deliver better access to services, which ensures our most vulnerable residents aren’t left behind. By delivering care that’s rooted in communities, shaped by what people truly need and focusing on prevention, we can better reach and support those who are often overlooked.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “We are building an NHS fit for the future, one that fits around people’s lives and is an integral part of their community.

“Neighbourhood health services fundamentally reimagine how the NHS works - bringing care closer to home while helping to tackle this nation’s shameful health inequalities.

“Through our Plan for Change, we will stop people from being bounced around a broken system as we get the health service back on its feet.”