Deliberative engagement in London around the future of primary care and integrated neighbourhood working has informed the development of this Target Operating Model.

Key messages from Londoners include:

• Support for investing in improved digital access including “one NHS App” for Londoners, alongside accessible options and the ability to speak to a human if required.
• A consistent approach to responding to patients’ needs across London powered by data, using the same systems, technology and rules, and mindful of social as well as clinical factors.
• A clear understanding of the choices and benefits available to patients, including options around self-care, and support from charities as an alternative where appropriate.
• INTs which deliver the same basic care across London with continuity for patients, clarity around support for specific groups, appropriate digital enablement and data sharing, and incentives for joint working.
• Proactive care that is delivered in partnership with community groups, which is routine and consistent, but respectful of individual people’s choices.

Effective communication, engagement and participation of local communities will be critical to realising this vision and the successful delivery of the neighbourhood health service in London. Although this theme runs through the Target Operating Model, we are jointly committed to:

Engaging and empowering our communities to lead this change.

We will establish consistent messaging about the future of neighbourhood health and care across London, developed with direct input and support from communities and partners, which includes clarity around what will be the same across London, what will vary by system, place and neighbourhood, and why. Localised and contextualised messaging will focus on articulating “what the neighbourhood health service and INTs mean for you” to different stakeholders, including residents, community leaders and community groups, health and care professionals, and elected members.

This messaging should not only inform, but also invite participation by demonstrating how individuals and organisations can engage with and contribute to INTs. By contextualising the message within each area to reflect local priorities and outcomes, stakeholders are more likely to feel that their involvement is both relevant and valued.

We will co-develop relatable scenarios and accessible formats to enable active participation and to help people understand their role in driving and realising the benefits of the change, working with existing networks and partners across our place partnerships, and building on the recent London-wide deliberative engagement process around the future of primary care. Adaptable communications templates and engagement tools at national and regional levels will help to ensure alignment in messaging and participation opportunities, whilst allowing for local customisation. Regional campaigns will promote shared learning and co-creation across London, whilst system-level coordination via our ICBs and ICPs will align communication across places and neighbourhoods.

Internal communication within INTs will be equally important in driving clinical and professional participation and engagement. Effective communication within teams – and wider team of teams – will be critical to ensure all participants share an understanding of goals, roles, and individual responsibilities. When internal communication breaks down, we know it can result in misaligned messages and confusion, undermining the effectiveness of external communication delivered to Londoners. A responsibility of the integrator will be to ensure neighbourhood teams are able to operate from a basis of shared clarity around the purpose, objectives and ongoing priorities in relation to neighbourhood working, developed with local communities and the professionals working with them.

We will utilise existing channels to co-develop and cascade tailored, relevant messages with all our communities. Available channels include newsletters, community meetings, and local forums, including those already working with and for previously underserved communities. Co-designing with communities and engaging with trusted leaders to tailor and deliver messages within these settings will help ensure they resonate.

We will apply standardised tools and metrics to assess the degree and impact of neighbourhood participation. This includes measures of how engaged different communities and local groups are in their neighbourhood health services, applying qualitative feedback and quantitative data to measure impact across all stages of life.