North East Lincolnshire has been selected as one of just six Trailblazer communities in England helping to develop the next generation of neighbourhood health services.
On behalf of North East Lincolnshire Health and Care Partnership, Navigo is hosting a programme that will build a case to receive investment from Macmillan Cancer Support and Social Financing to support the design and testing of new ways of delivering more joined-up, preventative care closer to home. The support will enable local partners to develop a full business case for a new neighbourhood health model that could unlock investment of up to £10 million over the next three to five years.
The North East Lincolnshire Trailblazer will develop a new Proactive Neighbourhood Care and Coordination Service, bringing together primary care, community services, mental health, adult social care, hospital services and the voluntary sector to better support people with complex needs before they reach crisis point.
The programme is backed by Macmillan Cancer Support and supported by the Office for the Impact Economy, working alongside Social Finance, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the Department of Health and Social Care. Building on pioneering work in West Hertfordshire, it will explore how new approaches to partnership and investment can help local systems redesign care around the needs of their communities.
North East Lincolnshire was selected because of both the scale of its health inequalities and the strength of partnership working already taking place across the area. Local people experience some of the poorest health outcomes in the country, with healthy life expectancy at around 54 years and an 11-year gap between the most and least deprived communities. People living in the area's most deprived neighbourhoods often experience the same levels of multiple long-term health conditions as those in more affluent communities who are 10 to 15 years older.
These challenges, combined with the strong foundations already established through integrated neighbourhood teams and partnership working across health, care and the voluntary sector, make North East Lincolnshire well placed to help develop and test innovative approaches that could inform neighbourhood health services both locally and nationally.
The programme will create more joined-up support for people who need help from multiple services. By improving coordination across health and care organisations, partners aim to provide earlier support, prevent people from reaching crisis point and help more residents remain well and independent in their communities.
The initiative will explore new ways to identify and support residents at risk of deteriorating health before their needs escalate. By bringing together GPs, community services, mental health teams, social care and voluntary sector organisations, the programme aims to improve people's experience of care, support greater independence and deliver more care closer to home.
The programme supports the ambition to shift the focus from treating illness to preventing it, ensuring people receive the right support at the earliest opportunity within their own communities.
Simon Beeton, Chief Executive of Navigo, said:"This is a real opportunity for North East Lincolnshire and the people who use our services. We know that too many people with complex health and care needs can find themselves having to navigate multiple services or waiting until things reach crisis point before they get the support they need.
"This programme will allow us to build on the strong partnership working that already exists across our area and look at how we can provide more joined-up support earlier, helping people stay well and maintain their independence for longer.
"Most importantly, it gives us the chance to work with local communities and partners to develop approaches that genuinely meet the needs of local people and improve their experience of health and care services."
Dr Ekta Elston, Clinical Lead for North East Lincolnshire Health and Care Partnership, said: “Too many people in North East Lincolnshire are living with poor health much earlier than they should be. This investment gives us the chance to change that by providing more joined-up care to people in our communities, meaning fewer emergencies and more time living well at home.”
Over the coming months, Navigo, on behalf of the Health and Care Partnership will work alongside communities, local GP practices, Care Plus Group, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, Focus, St Andrew’s Hospice, North East Lincolnshire Council, Adult Social Care, Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, and voluntary sector partners to develop and test the new neighbourhood care model. Learning from the programme will help shape future neighbourhood health services both locally and nationally.