Evaluating the development of integrated neighbourhood healthcare

What is the issue?

In July 2025, the NHS 10-Year Health Plan outlined a vision to shift care out of hospitals and into the community using neighbourhood approaches to healthcare. Part of achieving this will be through establishing Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs), multi-disciplinary groups of professionals from the NHS, local councils, and voluntary sectors. These will collaborate to deliver joined-up, preventative health and social care directly within local communities. Central to realising this are NHS trusts and general practices coming together by providing clinical expertise, workforce capacity and infrastructure.

However, the interactions between trusts and general practices in pursuit of more integrated care for patients are not always as effective as they might be and can face many challenges.

How are we helping?

RAND Europe researchers, along with our University of Birmingham partners in the NIHR-funded BRACE Rapid Evaluation Centre, are conducting this rapid evaluation. It aims to understand how the relationships between different NHS trust types (acute, community, mental health, combined) and ‘at-scale’ GP organisations influence the rationale, design, and functioning of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, and how differing organisational models shape local approaches to tackling inequalities, managing multiple long-term conditions and delivering population health-focused care. We will be particularly focused on topics related to governance, contracting, leadership, accountability and system capabilities.

This will be achieved through a variety of approaches, including a literature review, scoping interviews with key stakeholders, and case studies. We will also conduct interviews with members of trusts, at-scale GP organisations, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises, policymakers, frontline Integrated Neighbourhood Teams and patient representatives.

What are the project aims?

The proposed rapid evaluation will generate timely, practical insights for both national and local stakeholders.

• For DHSC and NHS England, the findings will help inform contracting approaches, clarify expectations around leadership and accountability, and may support more consistent implementation of neighbourhood health policy.
• For NHS practitioners and system leaders, the study will generate actionable learning on how to structure partnerships, align incentives and navigate competing priorities in practice to enable integrated neighbourhood healthcare.

Ultimately, the study aims to improve patient outcomes by identifying ways for trusts and general practices to work together more effectively to deliver more coordinated, equitable and person-centred care in local neighbourhoods, particularly for those living with multiple long-term conditions.