Charity commits £10m to build ‘neighbourhood’ care with trusts

A charity will invest £10m in a new scheme that aims to shift care from hospitals into the community.

Macmillan Cancer Support has partnered with West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals Trust and non-profit enterprise Social Finance to create what it described as a first-of-its-kind model for neighbourhood health.

The programme will focus on supporting older people with multiple health conditions, including cancer, in South and West Hertfordshire. Around 500 patients will be supported in year one in the Hertfordshire district of Dacorum, 500 more in a different area the following year, and then 1,000 in year three – with the aim of reaching 2,000 patients across four neighbourhoods. 

The initiative, launching in November, has three core elements. The first is a multidisplinary team in the community focusing on preventative care delivered by WHHT’s partner, Central London Community Healthcare Trust; the second a community interest company (CIC) enabling the benefits of reduced hospital spending to be reinvested directly back into neighbourhood teams; and the third a grant-giving enterprise for grassroots organisations to provide additional voluntary support for patients.

Patients will be supported by MDTs including advanced practitioners, GPs, geriatricians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses and Macmillan community workers and support will include medication reviews, home adaptations and links to voluntary sector groups to help patients and their families live active and fulfilling lives.

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Source: HSJ, 17 September 2025