The NHS has set out its vision for a new neighbourhood health model, placing care closer to home, focusing on prevention, and building services around people and place.

It is a welcome direction of travel. For those of us working in rural communities, it is also a familiar one.

For years, rural organisations have understood that place-based approaches are not a ‘nice to have’, but essential. Geography, transport, housing, isolation and access to services all shape people’s health and wellbeing in ways that cannot be addressed through clinical services alone. Supporting people effectively means working within communities, not expecting communities to fit around services.

This is exactly what the new Neighbourhood Health Framework begins to recognise.

Across Cambridgeshire, we see every day how local, trusted approaches can make a real difference. Community hubs and village agents are already working alongside residents to provide early support, reduce isolation, and help people navigate complex systems. This is preventative, person-centred support in action, delivered in the places people know and trust.

The NHS vision for integrated neighbourhood teams and neighbourhood health centres aligns closely with this model. The opportunity now is to build on what already exists, rather than starting from scratch.

Rural communities offer a strong foundation for this approach. Village halls and community buildings are established, accessible spaces at the heart of their communities. Local organisations and volunteers bring deep knowledge, relationships and trust. These are not gaps to be filled, but assets to be recognised and strengthened.

As the model develops, it will be important to ensure that rural areas are fully reflected. Neighbourhoods in rural areas look and feel different to those in urban settings. Distance, sparsity and transport all matter. A one-size-fits-all approach risks overlooking both the challenges and the opportunities that rural communities present.

There is also a clear role for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. Many of the ambitions set out in the framework, particularly around prevention, early intervention and tackling the wider determinants of health, are already being delivered by organisations embedded in their communities. Recognising and investing in this work will be key to achieving the outcomes the NHS is seeking.

The NHS Neighbourhood Health Framework and its wider work on population health set out this direction clearly, and we welcome the opportunity to see this approach embedded in practice.

At Cambridgeshire ACRE, we welcome the focus on neighbourhood health and the recognition that place matters. We would encourage partners to draw on the experience and evidence already available within rural communities as this model develops.

By working together, and by building on what is already working well, there is a real opportunity to create a system that supports people earlier, more effectively, and closer to home.

 

Neighbourhood health framework – GOV.UK

NHS England » Fit for the future: towards population health delivery models