West Yorkshire continues to play a key role in shaping the future of neighbourhood health, welcoming Dr Minal Bakhai, Senior Responsible Officer for the NHS National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) for a visit in early March.
Over two days, Dr Bakhai spent time in our three national implementation sites in Bradford and Craven, Leeds, and Wakefield District to hear how neighbourhood working is already making a real difference for people and communities across our area.
From stronger partnerships to better support for people with long‑term conditions, local neighbourhood teams were keen to share the early impact of their work.
Wakefield District
Beginning her tour of the region in Wakefield District, Dr Bakhai joined a multi‑disciplinary team (MDT) meeting in Pontefract and Knottingley focused on people living with long-term respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). By bringing different professionals together, the team is helping to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and helping people stay well at home.
Dr Bakhai also attended a showcase of the district’s risk stratification model, which enables teams to proactively identify patients at greatest risk of unplanned emergency admission. The approach brings partners together around a shared view of local need, ensuring the right people are seen at the right time.
Bradford and Craven
In Bradford, Minal visited the Sutton Centre, a community hub serving local residents in Holmewood and the Tong ward. Colleagues shared their work and learning across four priority cohorts; end of life care, adults with COPD, people with complex needs and multiple conditions, and older people with frailty and long-term conditions.
A Q&A session with the Evolve Team showed how primary care, community services and the voluntary and community sector to coordinate care more effectively.
Leeds
Rounding off in Leeds, Dr Bakhai saw how neighbourhood‑based non‑clinical multidisciplinary teams are improving support for local people. At The Old Fire Station on Gipton Approach, she met with members of the York Road Local Care Partnership’s non‑clinical multi-disciplinary team (MDT), hearing how they are helping residents access the right support earlier and more effectively.
The team shared powerful examples of how their new GP referral process has enabled the MDT to coordinate timely, community‑based support for patients who would previously have struggled to access help.
An animation shared with Dr Minal Bhakai during her visit to The Old Fire Station, Gipton Approach, This is an animation summarising the work Healthwatch Leeds carried out in Summer 2025 to find out what good neighbourhood health services means to people in Leeds
Dr Bakhai then moved to Beeston Hill Medical Centre for a discussion with members of the Inner South Leeds Integrated Neighbourhood team, exploring learning, challenges, and opportunities for workforce development across Leeds’ neighbourhood‑focused approach. Her visit highlighted both the progress already made and the enthusiasm across teams to continue strengthening integrated, person‑centred care for local communities.
Exceeding expectations
Throughout her visit, Dr Bakhai heard about the strong partnerships across West Yorkshire, the commitment of staff, and how neighbourhood teams are shaping care around what matters most to local people.
Dr Bakhai said: “It’s been brilliant to see neighbourhood health in action in West Yorkshire… [and] to see that focus on whole-person, whole-family care, partnership working by default, and dissolving some of the bureaucracy that gets in the way of delivering great care.
“It’s been really inspiring to hear staff talking about how motivating it is to work in such a collaborative manner where they’re able to do their best work for their patients.
“The sites are exceeding expectations in regard to impact, not just on hospital activity and emergency admissions but also improving person and community activation and whole-person wellbeing and health outcomes.”
The learning from the three West Yorkshire implementation sites will help shape the national roll‑out of neighbourhood health across England.
Next steps include the expected publication of guidance and Neighbourhood Health Plans, which will be overseen by local Health and Wellbeing Boards.