Integrated Neighbourhoods South
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.
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. For example, someone living in the north of Cambridge city may have very different health and care needs than someone in Duxford, South Cambridgeshire or in Ely, in East Cambridgeshire, and different access to specialist services close to their home.
How does it work in the South?
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 local councils, doctors’ surgeries, hospitals and local voluntary and community groups 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 South, there are nine neighbourhoods (INTs). Five of our nine Primary Care Networks have relaunched as Integrated Neighbourhoods: Granta, Cantab, Ely South, Ely North and Meridian. The rest will soon launch to complete the nine.
Programme and project managers work with the local partners to develop these teams, looking 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.