Unlocking the potential of local places
Delivering the Government’s vision for neighbourhood health services in England will depend not only on workforce and funding, but also on how effectively we use the buildings and spaces where care is delivered.
In the LGA’s submission to the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into neighbourhood health estates, the LGA made a clear case: the future of health and wellbeing support must be rooted in communities and shaped around the realities of people’s daily lives.
People’s health outcomes are strongly influenced by where they live, work and spend their time.
Accessible, welcoming and well-connected spaces are therefore critical to supporting prevention and early intervention.
Councils bring deep insight into local population needs, community assets and transport patterns – making them essential partners in planning neighbourhood health facilities that people can easily reach and navigate.
While the NHS estate will play a central role in neighbourhood delivery, there are substantial opportunities to draw on the broader public estate.
Libraries, leisure centres, community hubs, retail units and housing developments can all host health and wellbeing services.
Doing so can improve access, strengthen visibility of support, and contribute to wider regeneration by bringing footfall and vitality to local centres.
Councils are already aligning neighbourhood health ambitions with other local initiatives, such as family support hubs and town centre renewal programmes.
The redevelopment of surplus NHS sites also presents opportunities to deliver new homes and community facilities, while supporting recruitment and retention challenges through provision of key worker housing.
In many areas, local government is well placed to lead place-making and coordinate the strategic use of land and assets.
Examples of good practice across the country demonstrate the importance of strong partnerships and early engagement with communities and frontline staff.
Successful neighbourhood hubs often begin with a focused offer that can expand over time, supported by adaptable, multi-use facilities capable of responding to changing needs.
Prevention and ‘wrap-around’ support are also key themes.
Locally designed models can create neutral, stigma-free environments for sensitive services and ensure provision reflects the realities of rural, coastal or digitally excluded communities.
These place-based approaches underline the importance of tailoring neighbourhood health to local context rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all model.
Despite growing momentum, councils and NHS partners face a range of challenges in making best use of neighbourhood estates.
Complex funding arrangements, lengthy capital approval processes and limited revenue funding for early project development can slow progress and shift financial risk onto already stretched local authorities.
Ownership and governance complexities across different parts of the health system can also make joint planning difficult, while mismatched leasing arrangements and differing organisational timelines may hinder opportunities to secure suitable sites.
Alongside this, effective estate planning depends on better data sharing and cultural change, as providers adapt services to community settings rather than hospital-centric models.
Our message is clear: neighbourhood health services will only succeed if they are built on strong relationships, shared ownership and sustained investment in the enablers of integration – estates, workforce and data.
By drawing on the full range of public and community assets, councils and the NHS can create locally embedded hubs that improve access, tackle inequalities and place prevention at the heart of the system.
- Find out more about the LGA’s parliamentary work.