Our eight neighbourhoods see clusters of GP practices (primary care networks) within a geographical area working alongside community services to cover populations of typically 30,000 to 50,000.

They will become the bedrock of the Fylde Coast health and care system of the future, and will be empowered to manage population health.

Through neighbourhoods we will increase multi-disciplinary working across physical and mental healthcare and also between the health and care sectors, valuing health and wellbeing equally. We aim to provide as much support as is safe and cost effective in a community setting. This will ensure:

• Access to the right support sooner
• Fewer unnecessary outpatient appointments, hospital admissions, and less time spent in hospital

Fylde Coast patients will continue to have access to district general hospital services. For example, should patients require urgent and emergency care this will be available within the Fylde Coast. Closer working with neighbourhood teams will mean that hospital-based staff will be better informed of the patient’s background enabling more informed decisions about their care when in hospital and a smoother transition back into the community.

People should only have to travel further for very specialist services. People do this already when they go to a ‘centre of excellence’ for heart surgery, for example. Very specialist services could also include specialist blood vessel surgery, services to treat rare disorders of the brain and nervous system, and treatment for rare cancers.