Neighbourhood based care board update – December 2025
The South East London Neighbourhood Based Care Board (NBCB) is made up of colleagues from across our integrated care system, and meets every month to oversee
and guide progress towards a neighbourhood-based model of care. As outlined in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, the aim is to make health and care services more proactive, more joined-up, and more responsive to the needs of local people and communities.
The Board’s December meeting heard an update on progress from Bromley, and a detailed presentation on an area of key importance: the role of community pharmacy in delivering the neighbourhood health service.
Community pharmacy and the neighbourhood health service
‘Community pharmacies’ are the pharmacies on high streets and in community locations, rather than the pharmacies that dispense medicines in hospitals. There are
more than 300 community pharmacies in south east London, providing a wide range of advice and services to the local population. In many ways and for many people, community pharmacy is the ‘front door’ to the NHS – the first and most regular point of contact. As such, community pharmacy is well placed to play a central role in the delivery of the neighbourhood health service.
The Board heard of the potential for community pharmacy to fulfil this, including:
Taking on an expanded clinical role: as already seen in the growth of prescribing-based services in pharmacies, and the roll out of ‘Pharmacy First’ and new clinical services.
Supporting prevention and public health: pharmacies are well positioned to improve access to healthcare services, especially in underserved communities.
Integrating digital: pharmacies are already connect to the Federated Data Platform and NHS App, and could support further digital integration in a number of ways.
Potential benefits could include:
- A significant proportion of same-day demand being managed in pharmacies
- Fewer medicines-related readmissions to hospital
- Increased screening and vaccination in underserved groups
- Reduced pressure on GP appointments
- Increased equity and consistency across boroughs
- Better patient and staff experience.
To achieve this fully would require changes in approach and processes within health and care systems, however there is potential to deliver positive outcomes relatively quickly by adopting a pragmatic, workable starting model – not least ensuring that references to ‘primary care’ in neighbourhood planning should always include community pharmacy alongside general practice.
The Board expressed broad support for this, and will continue to explore ways to ensure that community pharmacy is a key partner in delivering the neighbourhood
health service.
More detail is in the Board presentation.
Update from Bromley
The Board also heard from Bromley colleagues on their progress in establishing and developing the integrator in the Borough. One key area of their work – which is of
relevance to all boroughs – is in understanding and defining the difference in roles and responsibilities between the Integrator, and the Integrator Host.
You can read more detail on this, and on Bromley’s plan for developing its Integrator, in this presentation.