Integrated Neighbourhood Teams

Integrated Neighbourhood Teams

Who are we?

Integrated Neighbourhood Teams are GP led and made up of different health and social care professionals including district nursing and therapy colleagues, mental health professionals, voluntary sector, social care and other council services.

We support people with multiple, often complex, health and care needs, who are receiving care from lots of different parts of health and social care.  We are linked to many other support organisations and services that can provide more specialist help and support if needed. In effect teams within teams.

We work closely with your local GP, hospital and other community and voluntary sector services.  Through a data sharing agreement, they are able to refer you to our team to see if we can help you to receive better and more joined up care.  You cannot refer yourself to an Integrated Neighbourhood Team.

 

How we help local citizens

Sometimes citizens with multiple health and care needs are left to navigate a route through several services by themselves which is not always easy. Our goal is to help provide a more joined up single service for the care you need.

We will do this by better co-ordinating and delivering these services to keep you healthy, manage your condition and able to stay in your own home. This includes seeing if the treatment or support you need can be provided in the community and help people to avoid having to go to an emergency department or be admitted to hospital.

What services we provide

Services we provide include social prescribing, medication reviews, healthy lifestyle advice and support, community mental health support and support for carers and families. We also have strong links into voluntary organisations, care homes, end-of-life care and hospices and community network teams. 

This helps citizens to stay healthier and have a better quality of life.  It will also help to avoid unnecessary hospital admission and stay in the comfort of your own surroundings where we know you will recover more quickly.  We can also help patients to be discharged home from hospital sooner if they are admitted.

How do INTs operate?

Each INT serves a population of between 30,000-50,000 people. One professional within the INT has responsibility for co-ordinating the care of a citizen.  This professional liaises with health and care services across the city to reduce the need for the resident to tell their stories too many times or interact with too many services.

 

How do INTs help our local population?

INTs focus on the individual's needs and preferences, tailoring care plans to address specific circumstances and promote well-being. A key focus is on preventing ill health and promoting well-being through early intervention and proactive support.  This includes addressing not just medical needs but also social and emotional well-being, and to tackle health inequalities.

 

Why are INTs important?

• Improved patient outcomes:  by coordinating care and addressing needs holistically, INTs can lead to better health and social outcomes for individuals. 
• Reduced health inequalities:  INTs can help to address health disparities by ensuring equitable access to services and resources within a community. 
• More efficient use of resources:  by reducing duplication and fragmentation, INTs can help to make better use of existing resources and potentially reduce costs. 
• Enhanced patient experience:  INTs can improve the overall patient experience by providing a more coordinated, person-centred approach to care.