Neighbourhood health is a new way of delivering health and care services that focuses on supporting people closer to home, in their local communities, and helping them stay well for longer. Read more about neighbourhood health.
Through Your local NHS: What Matters Most, we spoke with people and communities across Kent and Medway about moving services from hospitals to neighbourhoods - how care can be better organised closer to home and joined up around people's needs.
We held four workshops, in Canterbury, Medway, East Malling and Dartford between 29 January and 18 March 2026. These brought together 175 people residents, patient representatives, voluntary and community organisations, councils, GPs and NHS staff to talk about what neighbourhood health should look like and what needs to change.
At these events, we shared ideas for neighbourhood health and listened to people's views on what could build trust in services closer to home and which services they would expect to find in a neighbourhood model.
What we heard
People strongly support the idea of more care and support in local communities, working together across GPs, community services, councils and voluntary organisations.
They told us:
People were positive about the direction of travel but said they want to see these ideas turn into real, visible change in their communities.
We will use what people told us to help shape how neighbourhood health develops across Kent and Medway.
Next, we will:
This helps make sure neighbourhood health is built with local people, based on what matters most to them.