Plans put forward for neighbourhood health teams
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS TrustPlans for teams to shake up the approach to looking after children in Coventry have been outlined by health managers.
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan aims to set out how change can be delivered through neighbourhood multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), which will provide access to specialist advice including mental health expertise closer to home.
A steering group was being established in Coventry which would discuss and propose the MDT model, a report to a city council board said.
It added that proposal would "then be shared with leaders for consideration and endorsement".
Work follows an investigation into the NHS in 2024, highlighing the growing gap between demand and capacity of services for children and young people.
It also found an increasing complexity in their health and care needs and the research helped form the basis of the 10-year plan.
'Positive addition'
The report to Wednesday's council health and wellbeing board said neighbourhood health was "a key part of government plans for improving outcomes, prevention, shifting resources towards primary and community care and tackling health inequalities".
"At its core, neighbourhood health should try to happen as locally as possible and build on the strengths of local communities."
One of the aims, according to the document, was to reduce demand on health and care services, thereby improving access for those who needed services the most.
The programme would be keen to maximise use of existing resources and "make a positive addition to the existing good neighbourhood health and multidisciplinary working that is already happening in Coventry", the report added.
At the meeting, head of children and young people's transformation at the NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board Heather Kelly said children from "more deprived areas have poorer health outcomes so preventative measures like this could narrow the gap".
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
