The problem
A key tenet of neighbourhood healthcare is the assurance that residents should have the correct provision of services available to them, based on the needs of their community. While this means there may be some variation in service provision, this cannot be used as an excuse for inequitable care across regions and the creation of further ‘postcode lotteries’ within the health service.
Variation in digital maturity is a well-known challenge across the NHS. While some variation in service provision is expected in a neighbourhood healthcare model, reflecting the unique needs of each locality, the underlying digital infrastructure must be consistent.
Every neighbourhood, regardless of geography or demographics, must have access to the same foundational technology that enables secure data sharing, real-time collaboration, and a unified view of resident information. Without this universal capability, the promise of personalised, preventative care risks becoming patchy and unequal.
As highlighted in our recent white paper, Neighbourhood health now: the digital roadmap for delivering neighbourhood services today, digital maturity varies widely across the NHS, and without national coordination, the delivery of neighbourhood healthcare risks becoming inconsistent and inequitable across regions.
Ensuring a standardised approach to implementing the digital infrastructure for the neighbourhood health service will help to tackle several issues:
- Delayed implementation: Some regions move quickly, others stall, leading to slow national progress.
- Technology fragmentation: Different platforms, standards, and workflows make collaboration across regions difficult.
- Wasted resources: Duplication of effort and incompatible systems drive up costs.
The solution: strategic digital transformation
To avoid the pitfalls of regional variation, the NHS and other organisations responsible for delivering neighbourhood health must strike a balance between central coordination and local adaptability. That means:
- Mandating a common digital infrastructure: A shared resident view platform (like Bleepa®) should be adopted nationally, with local teams configuring it to meet their needs.
- Providing implementation support: Regions with lower digital maturity should receive targeted funding, training, and technical assistance.
- Monitoring and accountability: National oversight should track progress and intervene where delivery falls short.
To prevent regional variation from derailing neighbourhood healthcare, NHS England should:
- Identify a national digital priority: Treat implementing a platform providing a unified view of resident information as critical infrastructure.
- Accelerate procurement: Use national contracts to reduce delays and ensure consistency.
- Empower local NHS bodies: NHS organisations should lead local implementation, supported by national guidance and funding.
- Use existing programmes to close gaps: Where regions fall behind, use programmes like Getting it Right First Time to intervene where there are gaps in provision and to enforce standards.
To find out more information on how to deliver neighbourhood healthcare, read our whitepaper Neighbourhood health now: the digital roadmap for delivering neighbourhood services today.