Post by Afsana Bhuiya

Really pleased to announce the publication of our paper: "Defining the Integrated Neighbourhood Model: A Systematic Review of Key Domains and Framework Development." https://lnkd.in/eyyqurbZ Since beginning my work on integrated neighbourhoods (IN) in NCL, Barnet, in April 2023, a recurring question has been: What exactly is an IN? In essence, INs aim to deliver hyper-local, community-based care through collaboration across health, social care, and public sectors, enhancing the health and wellbeing of residents and service users. However, a unified definition or standard framework for developing INs has been lacking. Despite top-down policies like the Fuller Stocktake (2022) aiming for INs in the most deprived areas by April 2023 and universal coverage by the following year, widespread implementation remains limited in 2025, and defining INs continues to be a challenge. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and proposed a foundational framework for INs. This framework identifies key domains to guide their implementation, including barriers, evaluation, and future research potential. It offers a starting point for a standardised structure for implementing and evaluating INs, guiding clinicians, academics, and policymakers in developing sustainable, equitable, and adaptable community-based care solutions. This has the potential to significantly improve access for patients from low-socioeconomic and underserved communities. This has been a great cross sector effort - thanks to the whole team especially Fahad Mujtaba Iqbal !