Health leaders in Coventry outline new plan to boost care for families
Health leaders in Coventry are planning new neighbourhood teams to improve how children’s health services are delivered across the city
Health bosses in Coventry have set out plans to introduce neighbourhood teams aimed at improving care for children and young people.
The proposals come after a 2024 review of the National Health Service highlighted rising demand and increasingly complex health needs.
That research helped form the basis of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan which aims to set out how the NHS can deliver change to achieve through the use of neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) for children.
These will provide access to specialist advice including paediatric and mental health expertise closer to home which will benefit children and young people, as well as their families and carers.
It is also hoped that these neighbourhood MDTs are integrated with wider local services, especially education, social care, the voluntary sector, and community and social enterprise (VCSE) partners to help with early intervention and prevention.
A report to this week’s (Wednesday) Coventry City Council health and wellbeing board explained: “Neighbourhood health is a key part of government plans for improving outcomes, prevention, shifting resources towards primary and community care and tackling health inequalities.
"At its core, neighbourhood health should try to happen as locally as possible and build on the strengths of local communities.”
As well as improving the quality of life and the health and wellbeing of children and families, one of the aims according to the report is to ‘reduce the demand on health and care services, thereby improving access for those who need services the most and making the best use of finite resources’.
The report added: “A new steering group is being established in Coventry to be the design vehicle which will discuss, debate and propose the MDT model. That proposal will then be shared with leaders for consideration and endorsement. Once endorsement has been received, implementation will commence.
“The Programme will be keen to maximise use of existing resources and make a positive addition to the existing good neighbourhood health and multidisciplinary working that is already happening in Coventry.”
Speaking at the meeting, Heather Kelly, head of children and young people’s transformation at the NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Healthy children are more likely to do well in school so we will be improving children’s life chances. And it is important for reducing inequalities; children from more deprived areas have poorer health outcomes so preventative measures like this could narrow the gap.”