Integrators green-lit to drive forward neighbourhood health services in south east London
At their meeting on 16 July, the South East London Integrated Care Board approved the appointment of neighbourhood health service integrators in four of its six boroughs – Bexley, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark. Bromley and Greenwich will confirm appointment of their integrators in the coming weeks.
These approvals mark a major milestone in south east London’s delivery of a neighbourhood health service, as set out in the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan and London’s Target Operating Model and Case for Change.
Integrators are not replacements for place-based care partnerships, which continue to have significant roles in delivering our local ambitions. Instead, they are organisations within each borough that will seek to provide the core infrastructure to support effective integrated neighbourhood team working as it develops, ensuring services are tailored to meet local community needs and operate smoothly across organisational boundaries. Their role is critical in creating cohesive, proactive, targeted, and sustainable services that place individuals and communities at the centre.
Approved integrators are:
- Bexley: The borough’s health and care partnership between the London Borough of Bexley, Bexley Health Neighbourhood CiC, Primary Care Networks, and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Oxleas will host the arrangement.
- Lambeth: A partnership between Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) and Lambeth General Practice Provider Alliance. GSTT will host the arrangement.
- Lewisham: A partnership between the London Borough of Lewisham, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, primary care, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the voluntary and community sector. Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust will host the arrangement.
- Southwark: A partnership between GSTT and GP federations: Improving Health Ltd and Quay Health Solutions. GSTT will host the arrangement.
Andrew Bland, Chief Executive Officer for NHS South East London said, “With integrators approved in four of our south east London boroughs and the other two coming soon, we are establishing the foundations and building the relationships needed to deliver proactive, integrated, and equitable neighbourhood health services shaped by local communities. Integrators will provide the vital infrastructure, connections, and coordination we need to turn policy into practice and bring care closer to home”.
“We look forward to working with our integrators to build the infrastructure needed for integrated neighbourhood teams, initially focusing on frailty, multiple long-term conditions, and complex children’s needs”, added Holly Eden, Director of Delivery for Neighbourhoods and Population Health.
“Over the summer, we will collaborate with our partners to develop and test a neighbourhood outcomes framework that defines success, and outlines how we will measure progress in delivering locally responsive care across every neighbourhood in south east London”.