A local government vision for neighbourhood health and wellbeing

We would like you to work with the LGA, councils and partners to set out a whole-system vision for neighbourhood health from a local government and community perspective. This should strengthen and complement the Government’s recently published ‘Neighbourhood health framework’ and set out clearly where local government’s role and ambitions can build on that. This will inform national policy and support councils and partners to lead and shape local practice.

The Government published its national 'Neighbourhood Health Framework' (NHF) in March 2026. The Framework sets out an ambition to “…. end people being passed from pillar to post in a fragmented and, at times, chaotic system, and make local health services meaningfully accountable to local residents and service users...”. The Framework set outs that this will be done through the development and delivery of locally-owned neighbourhood health plans, multidisciplinary neighbourhood teams and neighbourhood health centres.

Regular references are made throughout the framework to the need to integrate a wide range of local services that support health and wellbeing. However, the practical proposals focus primarily on the National Health Service (NHS) elements of delivery; the vital care, prevention, wellbeing and support services that are provided and commissioned by councils, and which wrap around and underpin clinical services, are less clearly articulated at this stage.

The LGA therefore wants to collaborate with councils and local partners to flesh-out and complement the government’s framework with a vision from a local government perspective, which supports shared progress towards the integrated approach that government, delivery partners and communities both want and deserve.

The final product should set out local government’s priorities and ambitions and provide a clear and credible voice on what neighbourhood working at its best looks and feels like from a council and resident perspective.