How will the new neighbourhood health hubs work?published at 07:35 British Summer Time 3 July
Under the government's plans, "Neighbourhood Health Services" will be introduced across England to "shift care out of hospitals and into the community".
But how will they work, and what will they look like?
- The "neighbourhood health centres" will house a number of services "under one roof" - including diagnostics, post-operative care, mental health support and rehab, but also debt advice, employment support and "stop smoking or weight management"
- They will be open six days a week, for 12 hours a day
- Centres will be operated by "neighbourhood teams", including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, palliative care staff, and paramedics
- The government says dental care professionals will also be a part of these teams - though it's unclear whether they will always be based within the health centres, or at a separate premises
- Community health workers and volunteers "will play a pivotal role", with schemes such as door-to-door outreach