Hundreds of patients in East London are set to benefit as the NHS opened its first 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centre – a key commitment under the 10 Year Health Plan – offering walk-in support for people with mental illness. 

Tower Hamlets in East London is the first community to benefit as the NHS launches this trailblazing model of round-the-clock mental health support which will bring together a range of community mental health services under one roof, including crisis services, community mental health services and short-stay beds. 

People with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar will be able to walk in without an appointment if they need mental health support, as well as advice on employment, housing, or volunteering. Walk-ins are available from 8am-8pm Monday to Sunday.

The centre will be in the heart of communities and staffed by a team that includes psychiatrists, mental health professionals, peer support workers, and voluntary sector staff. 

Patients will also benefit from having local authority, voluntary, faith and community sector organisations onsite at the centres, as well as people with lived experience offering support. 

The new initiative is part of a wider effort to make sure mental health care is available when and where it’s needed, including the roll out of 24/7 psychiatric teams in every A&E and the world’s first 24/7 mental health crisis helplines across England, and dedicated mental health emergency departments for those in crisis. 

Read more on the East London NHS Foundation Trust website. 

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Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has launched a new NHS service for people living with dementia, offering remote, at-home monitoring that provides specialist support. It is hoped the service can lead to more appropriate interventions and earlier treatments for some of the most vulnerable people living in the community.

MinderCare uses a network of sensors installed in the home to send data back to a dedicated team of doctors, nurses and other clinical specialists. This team use the information to better understand how the person is managing their daily routine, provide tailored advice and identify early signs of changing health and care needs which may help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. 

Read more on the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust website. 

A trust nurse at London North West University Healthcare is the first in the world to highlight the importance of using a skin tone card to spot the early warning signs of pressure ulcers and other skin damage among black and Asian patients. 

Luxmi was puzzled why so many of her patients from ethnic minorities were presenting with late-stage ulcers that hadn’t previously been diagnosed. 

In response, every healthcare assistant and nurse at the hospital trust has been issued with a skin tone card which shows a graduation of skin colours from light to dark helping healthcare professionals see if there is a potential problem.   

Luxmi said: “Sometimes things are so obvious we overlook them. The combination of a lack of awareness and potential sensitivities around clinical staff querying skin tone discolouration means this has gone unnoticed.   

“North west London has a very diverse community so the use of skin tone cards should be common practice. This is about providing a simple but effective visual tool that helps everyone.”  

Luxmi’s work has seen her shortlisted for awards from The Nursing Times and Health Service Journal.

Read more on the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust website. 

A pioneering new way at St George’s Hospital treats heart failure like chemotherapy, providing optimal doses of medicines and giving patients the best balance between effectiveness and safety, without causing harmful side effects.  

The new approach has cut heart failure deaths by two thirds and cut readmission rates by 30%, easing the pressure on other hospital services.  

Matthew Sunter, Lead Heart Failure Nurse at St George’s, said: “Heart failure kills as many people as cancer, yet cancer treatments such as chemotherapy start faster.   

“Now, armed with our new knowledge, we’re able to replicate this with heart failure patients, starting them on higher doses of medicines and increasing them much more quickly – in around three weeks, as opposed to several months.” 

Read more on the St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website.

At West London NHS Trust, the Rough Sleeping and Mental Health Programme Team (RAMHP) work across Ealing, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham supports people who are homeless to improve their health. 

Steve Kirwin, Community Mental Health Nurse at West London, said: “The people we encounter can often be distrustful of services, as they have felt let down in the past. We check in to see how they are doing and if we can offer support. This ranges from a hot meal and a drink, to helping them to find a hostel or reminding them of appointments. For me, it’s important for them to know help is available.”

The teams’ collaborative work with multiple partners including Ealing Council is making a real impact. In a recently published government report: ‘Rough sleeping’ snapshot in England: Autumn 2024, Ealing Council ranked in the top five local authorities with the largest decrease in the number of rough sleepers.

Read more on the West London NHS Trust website.

The Waldron Health Centre and Community Hub has become a vibrant community space where residents can access clinical services, peer support groups and social advice under one roof. From mental health groups and diabetes care to midwifery and local advice services, the hub embodies how health and community support can come together.  

Lewisham Mayor Brenda Dacres, who formally opened the hub said: “The Waldron has been a real cornerstone of our community since it opened in 2008, bringing lots of health and social care services together under one roof. The addition of the new neighbourhood community hub is important for all of us who care about health, wellbeing, and community here in Lewisham”.   

Read more on the South East London website. 

Older residents are being supported to stay healthy and independent through Functional Fitness MOTs delivered by Age UK Bexley and commissioned by the Bexley Wellbeing Partnership.  

These assessments help people over 50 improve mobility, build strength and prevent future frailty.  

Deborah Travers, London Borough of Bexley’s Associate Director of Adult Social Care & Health and Bexley Care Lead for the Frognal Neighbourhood said, “Supporting older people living with frailty is a Bexley priority given that 40% of residents are over 50 and 27.4% are estimated to have some form of frailty. Age UK aim to have completed Functional Fitness MOTs with 200 residents by the end of the year and are well on the way to doing so. Of those that have undertaken a first assessment, 92% report that they are more aware of what actions they can take to prevent falls, and 67% have started a new fitness activity as a result.”  

Read more on the Age UK website. 

The One Bromley health and wellbeing hub, located in the borough’s large town centre shopping centre, is an initiative by the One Bromley Local Care Partnership, which brings together health, care and voluntary services to work together in a more joined up way. 

The hub offers a range of services targeting the five leading causes of poor health, known as the Vital 5.  These services aim to help reduce the five leading causes of poor health in Bromley and focus on interventions and advice to support the management of: 

• Blood pressure 

• Smoking Cessation 

• Alcohol use 

• Common mental health problems 

• Healthy Eating and Weight management. 

Also on offer are essential services such as support for carers, befriending services, smoking cessation, and cost-of-living advice and support.  

Dr Angela Bhan, Place Executive Lead for Bromley, said: “The hub offers such a vital range of services to help improve the health of our residents, especially those who are more likely to develop long-term health conditions. These services are designed to address both health and socio-economic challenges, which are often linked. For instance, stopping smoking not only improves physical health but also reduces financial strain. Similarly, cost-of-living advice can alleviate stress and improve mental wellbeing.” 

Read more on the South East London website.  

ShowerBox Barking, located at the Barking Learning Centre, is the UK’s first permanent shower facility for people experiencing homelessness. Funded by NHS North East London, the service was launched by Barking & Dagenham Council to provide access to hot showers, clean underwear, refreshments, and a safe, welcoming space to support hygiene and overall wellbeing.  

With rough sleeping in the borough increasing by 64% between 2020/21 and 2022/23, this initiative directly responds to the urgent need for accessible sanitation. By improving hygiene, the service helps reduce health risks, prevent infection, and lower the need for hospital admissions.  

The idea for ShowerBox Barking was shaped by earlier “Pop-Up” events, where individuals could access temporary showers, food, and medical care. Feedback from these events revealed a strong demand for more consistent hygiene support.  

Read more in this BBC News article. 

Barts Health NHS Trust have pioneered a fast, free cholesterol test, available at local pharmacies across east London. It is helping people catch hidden heart risks early — potentially preventing heart attacks and strokes. 

Barts Heart Centre, working with UCLPartners, has introduced this seven-minute test — first launched in Newham — that shows your cholesterol levels and estimates your risk of heart problems over the next 10 years. 

Jagjot Kaur Chahal, cardiovascular disease prevention lead pharmacist, said: “This quick test helps people find out if they’re at risk before something serious happens. Pharmacies are a convenient, trusted place to get checked and take control of your heart health.” 

The service also connects people to support for healthier living, including advice on diet, exercise, and quitting smoking. 

This is part of a wider approach at the Heart Centre, where clinicians are leading a bold shift from just treating disease to preventing it — helping people stay well and out of hospital.  Prevention improves patient health and eases pressure on the NHS by reducing hospital admissions and costs. 

Read more on the Barts Health NHS Trust website. 

Read more on how 10-years-on the Barts Heart Centre, UK’s largest and busiest specialist heart hospital, is helping treat more patients and deliver better outcomes in an area of the UK with some of the highest rates of early deaths from cardiovascular conditions. 

The Proactive Ageing Well Service (PAWS) is an innovative service in Lewisham supporting older adults with complex needs. PAWS’s focus is on early intervention for older adults living with frailty, a condition that affects one in ten people aged 65 and over. 

In addition to older-persons, PAWS also proactively identifies those with learning disabilities and mental health conditions at a younger age who are more likely to develop frailty younger, setting up preventative measures early on to reduce the risk of health complications later on. 

PAWS operates as a holistic and inter-connected service, centred around the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) which assesses seven key factors:  

• Physical  

• Socioeconomic/Environmental 

• Functional  

• Mobility/Balance 

• Psychological/Mental 

• Medication Review 

• Advance Care Planning 

The PAWS team then work closely with the person and their families (where appropriate) to develop a care plan that encompasses all of these factors as needed. 

Since its launch in November 2024, PAWS has demonstrated measurable improvements in care, integration across services, and overall safety for older adults living with frailty. The initiative has enhanced person outcomes and contributed to the broader transformation of frailty care within the Trust. 

Read more on the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust website.