Sefton welcomed Dr Minal Bakhai MBE, Senior Responsible Officer for the NHS National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP), on Thursday 15 January.

Dr Bakhai, who is also a GP and Director of Primary and Community Transformation and Improvement at NHS England, visited the May Logan Centre to learn more about Sefton’s priorities, progress to date, and ambitions for improving local health and care services.

Pioneer status

Sefton was selected as one of the first areas in England to receive pioneer status as part of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme.

The programme is a key national initiative focused on shifting care closer to home, improving access, and delivering more joined-up support for people and communities.

The NNHIP is made up of 43 pioneer sites across the country and places strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention, and neighbourhood-based care. Sefton’s selection and inclusion recognises it’s strong history of collaboration and commitment to tackling deprivation and inequality.

Working together to improve outcomes

The visit provided an opportunity to show how local partners across health, care, and the voluntary sector are working together to improve outcomes.

During the visit, Dr Bakhai heard directly about the work focussing on Frailty, Children and Young people, those with complex lives as well as targeted work to support those with dementia in Netherton and the shared vision for the future of neighbourhood health.

Spearhead for the flagship initiative 

As one of the first areas in England to spearhead this flagship initiative, we’re committed to transforming health and care by:

• Moving services from hospitals into communities with a focus on prevention
•  Integrating health and social care teams
• Supporting people with complex needs and improving access to healthcare

A powerful example of neighbourhood working in action

Sarah Alldis, Executive Director of Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing:
“This programme is about making health and care truly local, integrating services so people get the right support, closer to home.”

Dr Minal Bakhai, Senior Responsible Officer for the NHS National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP):
“It was inspiring to visit Sefton, one of our Wave One NNHIP pioneer sites. The unwavering passion, strong partnerships and collective commitment of all partners were evident, with a clear focus on health as wider than healthcare and on tackling the wider determinants together.

"The proactive, preventative care to support people and families with complex needs is particularly impressive. Sefton’s flourishing leadership and long-term strategic ambition, alongside their drive to improve whole-person outcomes across the whole population – all ages, one team, shared responsibility – offer a powerful example of neighbourhood working in action.”