Reimagining Health Care

Last week’s House of Commons event, hosted by Anna Dixon MP, marked an important moment for all of us working towards the future of neighbourhood health. The room brought together people and organisations who recognise that the way care shows up in people’s daily lives must change, and who are genuinely committed to shaping that change.

Throughout the day, it was striking to hear such a strong consensus that neighbourhood health relies on three things working together: a clear and coherent system vision, the power and potential of volunteering, and strong, trusted relationships within communities themselves.

Helpforce and PPL are playing a significant leadership role in advancing this national conversation. Helpforce’s commitment to elevating the role of volunteers across health and care, and PPL’s work in championing neighbourhood health models, are helping to create the strategic conditions needed for real transformation. Their leadership is helping to bring coherence, ambition and momentum to a movement that is long overdue.

And equally, it was encouraging to see growing recognition that national leadership alone is not enough. Real change depends on what happens in the places where people actually live, work and seek support.

That’s where Altogether Better plays our part. Every day, we see how strong partnerships between PCNs, GP practices and local people strengthen connection, reduce pressure on services, and bring neighbourhood health to life in very real and human ways.

For us, neighbourhood health isn’t a policy aspiration.  it’s a lived practice. It’s what happens when communities are supported to organise, contribute and connect, and when services work with people, not just for them.

The direction of travel is clear: a more relational model of care, built from the neighbourhood up.

We look forward to working alongside national leaders like Helpforce and PPL, and alongside local communities, to help make that shared ambition a reality for everyone