Neighbourhood plans ‘in danger’, says top five trust leader

The government’s neighbourhood health agenda is “in danger of not happening” amid a lack of clarity over governance structures and funding, the chair of England’s fourth-largest trust has claimed.

Ian Jacobs, who chairs the £2bn Barts Health Trust, said his organisation was committed to the development of neighbourhood health services. However, he added that  the work was “dependent on goodwill” from staff and partners and lacked a ”real structure to support it”.

His comments came at a public Barts Health board meeting during a discussion over how the trust will implement the national Neighbourhood Health Framework published in March.

The guidance set a number of targets for shifting acute care to the community, including that GPs must see 90% of clinically urgent patients on the same day by March 2027.

Professor Jacobs said: “It feels at the moment it’s dependent on goodwill and people setting up forums. It doesn’t seem very strong on structure that will ensure operational delivery… If there’s no formal structure, it’s in danger of being something that’s nice which disappears in a few years.”

He added: “The risk is that this is a nice idea which we’re all committed to, but unless there’s real structure that support it, it’s in danger of not happening.”

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Source: HSJ, 20 May 2026