Our neighbourhood model
In line with the vision outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan, we firmly believe in the principle that services should be delivered as close as possible to people in their own homes and communities, where this is safe and effective. Only when the safety, quality and cost effectiveness of care are improved by providing it at a greater scale should services be delivered elsewhere.
Our care model in Sunderland is built around geographical neighbourhoods which reflect locality areas and new ‘primary care networks’ in which local GPs and health and social care teams will work together to proactively care for populations of around 30,000 to 50,000 people. We are already well advanced in developing this place-based or neighbourhood model thanks to the work already undertaken in 2015 as part of the NHS vanguard programme. This means we already have the important building blocks in place across the City to support care for everyone registered with a Sunderland GP, as well as those who are not registered with a GP but live in Sunderland.
Our six integrated neighbourhood teams will cover the following localities:
- Sunderland Coalfields
- Sunderland Washington
- Sunderland East
- Sunderland North
- Sunderland West One and Sunderland West Two
Our new integrated neighbourhood model will seek to fundamentally reshape mainstream delivery, bringing together the skills, knowledge and experience needed to deal effectively with demand in a specific neighbourhood, ensuring services and staff in that neighbourhood share a common purpose and work in an holistic way with people and communities. This will encompass primary care, social care, mental health, community nursing care, social prescribing and drug and alcohol services and seek to interact and interface with policing, fire service, housing, the voluntary sector and other community services.