Integrated Neighbourhoods North
Integrated Neighbourhoods bring together people working in physical and mental health and social care. They are teams who work with General Practices, your local doctor’s surgery, within a small area to provide more local opportunities for you, and the local community, to receive care, to provide proactive and integrated care to local communities which keeps people well.
Why have they been created?
One of our core principles is that, where possible, care should be delivered as close to your home as possible. We want to provide the best care across the area, but we also know that some local areas have different requirements. We know that health outcomes in The North are poorer than in the rest of Cambridgeshire; this means that more people are affected by including obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions or circumstances that impact their life expectancy. We have a strong focus on addressing health inequalities and we are continually looking at ways to align services and support to help our local patients, so we can deliver the care according to the needs of local people in individual areas.
How does it work in the North?
The Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INT) work with wider partners in their local area, making sure that wider issues of health and wellbeing can be addressed. These partners include social care, health and the independent and voluntary sector all working together. Each INT serves a population of between 30,000-50,000 people.
These INT build on Primary Care Networks (PCNs) that have existed in our area for some time. In the North we have 13 PCNs, as of 1 April 2022. Our vision is to evolve all 13 of our PCNs into Integrated Neighbourhood Teams. In 2019/20 we launched our first wave of INTs which are:
- BMC Paston
- Central, Thistlemoor and Thorpe
- South Peterborough
- Wisbech
During 2022/23 we are planning to launch, in two further waves, the remaining PCNs to become Integrated Neighbourhoods. Programme and project managers work with the local partners to develop these teams, look for better ways to work together and improve people’s experiences of care.
What does it mean for me?
We want our people to live healthy, resilient and independent lives, with simple access to support and care when needed, as close to home as possible. We will organise care with, and for, the people living in our communities so that they experience the health and wellbeing outcomes that matter to them.
This means that you will be able to talk to people about your health and care in a place that works for you, in the way that works for you. We will also work with you to ensure that you are involved in and can influence how and where you receive care.