Governance and Contracting for Integrated Neighbourhood Healthcare

The evaluation will consist of three work packages:

WP1: Mapping of literature 

We will review empirical, policy and theoretical literature on primary care organisation, collaboration and partnerships in health care, health care governance, and health care contracting. We will build on this and conduct a further rapid scan of academic and grey literature focused on governance and contractual developments regarding integrated neighbourhood health prospectively from 2022. The literature scan will be used to contextualise, categorise and better understand practitioner experiences in our evaluation.

WP2: Qualitative case study work

We will select four case studies to explore in-depth how NHS trusts and at-scale GP providers are working together, or planning to work together, to develop integrated neighbourhood healthcare as proposed in the 10-Year Health Plan and the Neighbourhood Health Framework. Each case study will be at the level of a single integrated neighbourhood team.

We will conduct a document review (of any local neighbourhood health strategies, governance papers and any other documentation covering the case study sites) and semi-structured online interviews with key stakeholders across trusts, at-scale GP organisations, wider healthcare system, voluntary, community and social enterprises, and policymakers. We will also conduct focus groups with members of frontline Integrated Neighbourhood Teams and with patient representatives across the four case study sites.

WP3: Analysis synthesis and reporting

The project will analyse findings from all case studies through iterative synthesis, combining standardised case study write-ups, cross-case comparison, and a theory of change for each site, supported by ongoing engagement with relevant theory, evidence, and policy literature.

Learnings will then be tested and developed through online workshops with local and national stakeholders, including site-specific sessions to validate findings and a national workshop with DHSC/NHS England to discuss early themes and priorities for integrated neighbourhood health teams.

Results will be shared through ongoing feedback to policymakers and related research teams, as well as final outputs for case study sites, NHS organisations, GP and primary care bodies, ICBs, trust boards, patient and carer groups, local authorities, and VCSE organisations, with a focus on how Trust–GP relationships influence governance, delivery, enablers, barriers, contracts, culture, and success measures.

Stephanie Stockwell (Project Manager)

Manbinder Sidhu (Co-PI)

Jon Sussex (Co-PI)

Manon Richard-Sheridan

We propose to disseminate findings and guidance from the rapid evaluation via multiple channels to synthesise learnings from scoping activity and case studies and putting forward recommendations for policy makers, practitioners and managers, as well as some outputs for patients and staff. We aim to publish a monograph, peer-reviewed journal article and continue to disseminate our findings through various networks (conferences, BRACE and National Voices networks).